Difference between GUI and CLI

The operating system of any device is nothing but an interface between user and hardware components of that device. The operating system offers a GUI vs CLI user interface to interact with an electronic device. Some operating systems provide GUI and CLI while others offer only CLI. GUI means a Graphical user interface while CLI means the command line interface. As the name suggests, one has to write commands to perform a certain task in the CLI system. On the other hand, GUI offers graphics that consists of icons and images that enable a user to do a task directly. CLI requires expertise in commands for performing a certain task while GUI can be operated by a beginner.

For its working, GUI uses computer graphics. One can click on the icon; drag the object with help of mouse. There is no need to remembering commands in this. GUI comes with numerous components. With the help of a textbox editor, one can enter input data in this. A menu offers a list of options to choose from. Buttons enable the user to select a particular option. The checkbox element enables the user to select an option to choose from multiple alternatives. Linux and Windows use a Graphical User Interface. It consists of icons, search boxes, windows, menus, and many other graphical elements.

Command language interpreter, Character User Interface, and console user interface are some different names of the command line interface. In this system first, the user enters the commands and presses enter to execute that command. In this way, the user can interact with the device. It is important to have correct knowledge of syntax to give effective commands. An operating system like UNIX has CLI While an operating system like Linux and windows have both CLI and GUI.

Head To Head Comparison between GUI and CLI (Infographics)

Below are the top 8 differences between CLI vs GUI:

Key Differences between GUI and CLI

Below are the lists of points, describe the key differences between GUI vs CLI:

User-friendly

Command Line Interface requires commands to be memorized thus become challenging for beginners. CLI is often preferred by professionals. GUI is more user-friendly than CLI and can be used by beginners as well as experienced professionals.

Popular Course in this category

All in One Software Development Bundle (600+ Courses, 50+ projects)600+ Online Courses | 3000+ Hours | Verifiable Certificates | Lifetime Access
4.6 (3,144 ratings)

Course Price

View Course

Multitasking

Multitasking may or may not be involved in the command-line interface. On the other hand, In GUI one can do multitasking with ease. Example- MS word, chrome has multitasking ability to perform tasks.

Handling Complex Tasks

Command Line Interface is best for handling complex tasks. One can handle the complex task by writing a few commands while GUI requires some steps to follow to work.

Resource Handling

Only keyboard and system are used while interacting, on the other hand, GUI has extra resources to interact with the user.

Performance

Graphical User Interface is slow as compared to the Command Line Interface. It required more time to perform tasks. On the other hand, CLI has better performance. One can script the series of instructions to carry out the task while GUI does not provide this facility.

Networking

Graphical User Interface connects with another computer remotely to gain access while on the other hand connecting with CLI is quite difficult. Professionals are required to get access to another electronic device.

Interface

In Command Line Interface, the interface is consistent for all the time. In GUI interface changes with the update of the software.

Interaction

There is less color strain in the eyes in the Command Line Interface. In GUI the color strain is more. CLI offers more control over the system through a command line interface. There are few limitations in GUI in accessing folders and perform a certain task.

Examples- Windows Operating System – MS word- GUI, MS Docs-CLI

GUI vs CLI Comparison Table

Below is the topmost comparison between GUI vs CLI

Basis of comparison	GUI	CLI
Basic	This user interface enables the user to interact with electronic devices with the help of graphical icons and visual indicators.	This user interface enables a user to give a command to interact with an electronic device
Ease of understating	The graphical user interface is visually intuitive. It is easy to understand for beginners	Due to the need to remembering commands, it is difficult to handle and requires expertise.
Memory Requirement	It requires more memory as it consists of a lot of graphical components.	It requires less memory as compared to GUI.
Speed	It generally uses a mouse to execute commands. The speed of GUI is Slower than CLI.	Because the keyboard is used to execute the commands, the speed of the CLI is Faster than GUI
Appearance	One can change the appearance with a customizable option.	It is not possible to change the appearance
Flexibility	More flexible than CLI	Less flexible than GUI
Device used	Keyboard and mouse	Keyboard
Precision	Low as compared to the CLI	High as compared to the GUI

Advantages of GUI over CLI

One can edit the configuration manually
One can memorize tasks easily as in CLI one has to type commands the terminal which may be difficult for most of the beginners.
It enables average computer users to interact with the computer. No need to have expertise in the computer
The main feature of any software is its ease of use. The customer often preferred the software are offered a user-friendly interface. As GUI offers the same it is beneficial in increasing the selling of the software.

Benefits of CLI over GUI

Whether you are writing a code or giving instructions to the computer CLI gives better control to the user.
Navigating through different icons makes the GUI slow. Thus CLI offers better speed as commands are directly given to the computer. So many professionals preferred CLI because of its speed and performance.
Sometimes professionals are required to work on more than two languages. CLI is a great option for professionals who work on more programming languages.

Conclusion

In the above GUI vs CLI article, we have come up with some important point regarding Graphical user interface and Command line interface. This article gives information about the key difference between GUI vs CLI and its comparison.

To conclude the main difference between GUI vs CLI is the way it enables a user to interact with the system. GUI is considered as more user-friendly while CLI is more advanced and powerful.