Fastfetch vs Neofetch: Which System Information Tool Is Better?

Want to see how they compare? Read the full comparison below to see which tool best fits your system and needs.

Quick Verdict

Fastfetch vs Neofetch comes down to speed, modern features, and ongoing development. For most users, Fastfetch is the better choice because it is faster, actively maintained, and offers more flexibility for customizing system information.

Fastfetch vs Neofetch comparison graphic

Fastfetch and Neofetch Overview

Fastfetch and Neofetch are command-line tools that display system information directly in the terminal. Both can show details such as the operating system, kernel, CPU, memory, and desktop environment, but they differ in performance, development status, and customization.

Fastfetch

Fastfetch is a modern system information tool designed for speed, flexibility, and detailed output. It supports a wide range of modules and lets users customize what information appears in the terminal.

Neofetch

Neofetch is a classic Bash-based system information tool known for its simple output and customizable terminal layouts. It became widely used for displaying system details with ASCII logos.

Is Neofetch Discontinued?

Yes, Neofetch has been discontinued. Its GitHub repository was archived on April 26, 2024, and is now read-only. The project no longer receives official development or new features.

What Happened to Neofetch?

Repository archived: The project was made read-only on April 26, 2024.
No new development: The final code updates were made in December 2021.
Existing installations still work: Neofetch can continue to run on systems where it is already installed and supported.
No future updates: The project will not receive new features, bug fixes, or security patches.
Older project: Without ongoing development, it may not keep up with newer hardware, software, and system changes.

Fastfetch vs Neofetch Feature Comparison

Fastfetch and Neofetch provide similar system information, but they differ in how they are built, configured, and maintained. The table below compares their main features.

Feature	Fastfetch	Neofetch
Development	Actively maintained	Discontinued and archived
Programming language	Mainly C	Bash
Performance	Designed for fast execution	Slower than Fastfetch
Configuration	JSONC-based configuration	Bash-based configuration
Modules	Large selection of customizable modules	Standard system information modules
Presets	Built-in presets available	No equivalent preset system
Platform support	Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, BSD, and more	Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, BSD, and other supported systems
Wayland support	Supports modern Wayland environments	Less suited to modern Wayland environments
Logos	Supports custom logos and images	Supports ASCII and custom logos
Output options	Flexible output and formatting options	Basic terminal-focused output

Is Fastfetch Faster Than Neofetch?

Yes, Fastfetch is faster than Neofetch. Fastfetch is mainly written in C, while Neofetch uses Bash, which has more overhead.

Why Fastfetch Is Faster

Faster execution

It collects and displays system information quickly.

Efficient design

Uses system resources more efficiently.

Quick startup

The difference can be noticeable when running it often or at terminal startup.

Fastfetch vs Neofetch: Which Is Better for Modern Systems?

Fastfetch is better suited to modern systems because it supports newer desktop environments, hardware, and system features.

Why Fastfetch Fits Modern Systems

Modern hardware

Provides detailed information about current hardware components.

Wayland

Works with modern Wayland-based desktop environments.

Wide platform support

Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, BSD, and other supported systems.

Neofetch can still run on compatible systems, but its older codebase may not provide the same level of support for newer technologies.

Which One Should You Use?

Fastfetch is the better option for a new setup, while Neofetch can still be kept for an existing setup that already works well.

Choose Fastfetch If

You need a new system information tool.
More control over the terminal output is useful.
Current features and customization options matter.
A long-term replacement for Neofetch is needed.

Keep Using Neofetch If

An existing setup already works well.
You already have a customized configuration.
The current output meets all requirements.
You don’t need to change the existing setup.

How to Replace Neofetch With Fastfetch

Switching from Neofetch to Fastfetch is simple. The process includes removing Neofetch, installing Fastfetch, testing it, and replacing the old startup command.

Step 1: Remove Neofetch

First, remove Neofetch. Open the Terminal and enter the command that matches your Linux distribution.

Ubuntu, Debian, or Linux Mint

sudo apt remove neofetch

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -R neofetch

Fedora

sudo dnf remove neofetch

After the command finishes, Neofetch will be removed. Existing configuration files may remain.

Step 2: Install Fastfetch

Install Fastfetch using the method for your operating system. Complete Linux, Windows, and macOS instructions are available in the How to Download and Install Fastfetch guide.

Step 3: Start Fastfetch

Once the installation finishes, type fastfetch in the Terminal and press Enter.

fastfetch

Fastfetch should now display your system information. This confirms that the installation is working correctly.

Step 4: Replace Neofetch at Terminal Startup

Some users configure Neofetch to run automatically whenever a new Terminal window opens. In that case, replace the old neofetch command.

Open your shell startup file and find:

neofetch

Remove that line and add:

fastfetch

Save the file and open a new Terminal window. Fastfetch should now start automatically instead of Neofetch.

Step 5: Create a Similar Neofetch Look

You can quickly get a Neofetch-style layout using Fastfetch’s built-in preset:

fastfetch -c examples/neofetch

This loads a configuration designed to resemble Neofetch’s classic output.

If you want to build your own layout instead, generate a fresh configuration file with:

fastfetch --gen-config

This opens an interactive prompt where you can choose your setup. The configuration file is created here:

~/.config/fastfetch/config.jsonc

For detailed customization options, see the Fastfetch Configuration and Customization guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fastfetch supports structured output formats such as JSON, which can be useful for scripts and other tools that need system information in a machine-readable format.

Available modules can show details about components such as the CPU, GPU, memory, disks, and other hardware.

Compatible terminal environments can display images alongside system information. This provides an alternative to text-based or ASCII logos.

The command module lets you run custom shell commands and include their output in the system information display.

JSONC is used for configuration files. It supports regular JSON syntax while also allowing comments, making configuration settings easier to organize and understand.

Conclusion

Fastfetch is the recommended choice for most new setups. It provides a modern alternative for users who want more flexibility when displaying system information.

Existing Neofetch setups don’t need to change immediately if they still work well. For users starting fresh or looking for a replacement, Fastfetch is the stronger option.

About the Author

Adam Bennett

Adam Bennett writes the Fastfetch guides on this site, researching and testing each one against official Fastfetch documentation and other reliable technical sources to keep instructions accurate and up to date. Guides are reviewed and updated as Fastfetch continues to evolve, covering everything from installation and configuration to troubleshooting and comparisons with other terminal tools.