Asciinema is a free and open-source tool that lets you record your terminal sessions and share them as easily as sharing a YouTube video. It captures everything you type and see in the terminal, preserving the timing and output exactly as it happened. This makes it incredibly useful for demonstrating command-line workflows, debugging issues, or sharing complex commands with colleagues. Developed by the Asciinema team, it's a perfect alternative to lengthy screen recordings for terminal-based tasks.
Editorial check
How this page is checked
Source trail
asciinema.org
External links are separated from Surfaced commentary.
Reader safety
Context before clicks
Product links and external services are not presented as guarantees.
Monetization
No affiliate flag
Ads and commerce links are kept distinct from editorial text.
Surfaced take
Why It’s Useful
For developers, sysadmins, and anyone working extensively in the command line, Asciinema is a game-changer for documentation and collaboration. Unlike static screenshots or lengthy video recordings, Asciinema provides an interactive and lightweight way to share terminal activity. The recordings are text-based, meaning they're small in file size and can be embedded anywhere. This makes them ideal for bug reports, tutorials, or quick demonstrations of shell commands. Power users appreciate its seamless integration with various shells and its ability to capture error messages and output accurately. It's a step above simple text-based command sharing by adding the crucial temporal element of execution.
In everyday life
When you’d actually reach for this
You need to show your teammate exactly which commands you used to fix that tricky server error. Or perhaps you want to document the steps for setting up a new project so you can easily refer back to it later. It's also perfect for creating a quick tutorial for a friend struggling with a specific command-line task.
Enjoyed this? Get five picks like this every morning.
Free daily newsletter — zero spam, unsubscribe anytime.