Generally, I use both GUI and CLI, but whenever I can accomplish something with the CLI, I usually prefer it. There are several reasons for that:
CLI is the most “genuine” interface.
It does exactly what you tell it to do, nothing more, nothing less. In many cases, GUI tools are simply wrappers built on top of underlying CLI commands.
CLI exposes more capabilities.
Many advanced features are only available through the command line. If every possible option were exposed through a GUI, the interface would become extremely cluttered and confusing.
Automation is far easier.
With CLI commands, you can write scripts (e.g., Bash, PowerShell) to automate repetitive tasks. This gives you powerful control over your system and workflows.
Consistency across environments.
GUI tools often vary from application to application. The CLI, on the other hand, is usually consistent, once you learn a command or tool, you can use it across many systems and environments.
CLI tools are typically more stable and predictable.
Because they are simpler and widely used in automation and infrastructure, CLI tools tend to be heavily tested and behave very consistently.
Better understanding of what happens under the hood.
Using the CLI often exposes the actual operations being performed, which helps you understand how systems work internally.
Speed and efficiency.
Once you know the commands, using the CLI is often significantly faster than navigating through multiple menus and windows in a GUI.
Remote work is much easier.
Working with remote machines (servers, containers, cloud instances) is far more efficient via CLI tools like SSH. Many systems don’t even have a GUI installed.
Reproducibility.
CLI commands can be saved, shared, version-controlled, and reused. This makes it much easier to reproduce environments and setups.
Resource efficiency.
CLI tools consume far fewer system resources compared to GUI applications, which makes them ideal for servers and lightweight environments.
Better integration with development workflows.
Many developer tools (git, docker, build systems, package managers) are designed with CLI-first interfaces, making them easier to integrate into pipelines and CI/CD systems.
CLI scales better with complexity.
As tasks grow more complex, the command line often scales better than GUI tools, which can become too complex when too many options are added.
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Generally, I use both GUI and CLI, but whenever I can accomplish something with the CLI, I usually prefer it. There are several reasons for that:
CLI is the most “genuine” interface.
It does exactly what you tell it to do, nothing more, nothing less. In many cases, GUI tools are simply wrappers built on top of underlying CLI commands.
CLI exposes more capabilities.
Many advanced features are only available through the command line. If every possible option were exposed through a GUI, the interface would become extremely cluttered and confusing.
Automation is far easier.
With CLI commands, you can write scripts (e.g., Bash, PowerShell) to automate repetitive tasks. This gives you powerful control over your system and workflows.
Consistency across environments.
GUI tools often vary from application to application. The CLI, on the other hand, is usually consistent, once you learn a command or tool, you can use it across many systems and environments.
CLI tools are typically more stable and predictable.
Because they are simpler and widely used in automation and infrastructure, CLI tools tend to be heavily tested and behave very consistently.
Better understanding of what happens under the hood.
Using the CLI often exposes the actual operations being performed, which helps you understand how systems work internally.
Speed and efficiency.
Once you know the commands, using the CLI is often significantly faster than navigating through multiple menus and windows in a GUI.
Remote work is much easier.
Working with remote machines (servers, containers, cloud instances) is far more efficient via CLI tools like SSH. Many systems don’t even have a GUI installed.
Reproducibility.
CLI commands can be saved, shared, version-controlled, and reused. This makes it much easier to reproduce environments and setups.
Resource efficiency.
CLI tools consume far fewer system resources compared to GUI applications, which makes them ideal for servers and lightweight environments.
Better integration with development workflows.
Many developer tools (git, docker, build systems, package managers) are designed with CLI-first interfaces, making them easier to integrate into pipelines and CI/CD systems.
CLI scales better with complexity.
As tasks grow more complex, the command line often scales better than GUI tools, which can become too complex when too many options are added.