Because Windows CMD and PowerShell are not very convenient to use, I’ve been looking for a command-line alternative.
ConEmu fits my expectations and meets my needs — I genuinely recommend it.
https://github.com/ConEmu/ConEmu
ConEmu features:
Open-source software, free, and ad-free.
Supports multiple tabs; multi-tab CLI operations are more efficient — a solid productivity tool for programmers.
Automatically saves/restores opened tabs. Even if the PC freezes or bluescreens, the next time you start ConEmu it restores all previously opened folders and paths.
Can be minimized to the system tray; for CLI programs, you can run with the console window hidden.
Free CMD/PowerShell alternative
Enable auto-restore of last opened tabs:
How to set: Settings → Startup → Auto restore last opened tabs.
After this is enabled, rebooting restores all previously opened paths — very convenient.
Show directory names in ConEmu tab titles
Top-right → Settings → Tab bar → Console, set to: <%c> %f
This displays the sequential number and the folder name — exactly what I want.
ConEmu hasn’t shipped new releases for a long time — what now?
https://github.com/ConEmu/ConEmu/releases shows releases in 2023.
https://github.com/dodmi/ConEmu is a fork that still fixes issues in 2025.
You can look for other actively maintained forks.