How it compares

How it compares

homebot leads on the remembering. It keeps one list of what needs you, saves and syncs on its own once you let it, asks once about each new file, and comes to you instead of waiting to be run. On the rest, the others are older and broader, and the tables below say where.

homebot is not released yet

Its column describes what is built today, read from its code.

The rows under The remembering, and Nothing new to learn, are ours. Every other row comes from chezmoi’s comparison table, which chezmoi’s maker keeps, as it stood on 14 October 2026. Where a tool’s own docs say more, the cell adds it: yadm runs under Git Bash or Cygwin, and dotbot also installs from PyPI and has plugins for encryption. With effort stands for chezmoi’s “possible with significant manual effort”.

The remembering

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
One list of what needs you, each item with its fix Yes: homebot No No No No No No
Commits and pushes without you running anything Yes, hourly or daily, once you turn it on Only when you run a chezmoi command (autoCommit) With the AutoYADM add-on No No No No
Asks once about new files and remembers the answer Yes: homebot triage Lists them when you run unmanaged; remembers nothing No No No No No
Comes to you: shell line, prompt count, notification Yes, in zsh No No No No No No

Getting started

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
Distribution Single binary Single binary Single script Python package Multiple files Single script or package —
Install method From source today; a one-line script with the first release Many Many git submodule, or PyPI Many Many Manual
Non-root install on a bare system Yes; the apt steps use sudo Yes Yes With effort Yes Yes Yes
Windows support (not WSL) No: macOS and Linux Yes Under Git Bash or Cygwin Yes, if your account may make symlinks No No Yes
Bootstrap requirements git and bash; gitleaks to save None git Python, git Bash sh, git git
Implementation language Go Go Bash Python Bash POSIX shell C
Nothing new to learn No: its folder rules and commands No: its file-name prefixes, templates and commands Yes: it is git, run on your home folder No: its YAML file No: its commands and folder rules Almost: git, one repo per topic Yes: it is git

How your files are kept

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
Source repos Single Single Single Single Multiple Multiple Single
Dotfiles are… Symlinks Files Files Symlinks Symlinks Files Files
Config file Required: homebot.yml, every key optional Optional Optional Required Optional None Optional
Private files Yes: files 0600, folders 0700 Yes Yes No No No No
Show differences without applying The link changes, with link --dry-run Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
Executable files Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Directory creation Only as parents of links Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
File removal Only stale links it made Yes Yes No No Yes No
Manage partial files No Yes Yes No No With effort With effort
File creation with initial contents No Yes No No No Yes No
Externals No Yes No No No No No
Archive import No Yes No No No Yes Yes
Archive export No Yes No No No Yes Yes

Machines that differ

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
Machine-to-machine file differences A folder per OS and a profile per host Templates Templates, plus files per OS, class or host Links made only if a shell test passes Files per host or tag A branch per machine Branches, by hand
Custom variables in templates No: there are no templates Yes No No No No No
Machine-to-machine symlink differences Per OS only Yes Yes No No With effort With effort

Secrets

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
Whole file encryption Yes: age, built in Yes Yes: gpg or openssl Through plugins (age, git-crypt) No No No
Password manager integration No Yes: 1Password, Bitwarden, pass and more No No No No No

Running things

homebot chezmoi yadm dotbot rcm vcsh bare git
Run scripts Yes: profile steps and your own scripts Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Run once scripts No: every step runs each time, so steps must be safe to rerun Yes Yes No No Yes No
Shell completion Not yet Yes Yes No No Yes Yes
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