zinit

Load a plugin from GitHub

$ zinit light [username/repository]

$ zinit load [username/repository]

$ zinit snippet OMZ::plugins/[plugin]/[plugin].plugin.zsh

$ zinit ice wait lucid; zinit light [username/repository]

$ zinit ice as"completion"; zinit snippet [url]

$ zinit update --all

$ zinit update [username/repository]

$ zinit list

zinit [light|load|snippet|ice|update|delete|list|self-update|compile|uncompile|report] [arguments]

Zinit (formerly Zplugin) is a flexible and fast Zsh plugin manager that supports Oh-My-Zsh and Prezto plugins, Turbo mode for deferred loading, and multiple installation methods. It compiles plugins to bytecode for faster shell startup times.
The key feature is Turbo mode, which loads plugins asynchronously after Zsh starts, dramatically reducing shell initialization time. Ice modifiers provide fine-grained control over how plugins are downloaded, compiled, and sourced.
Zinit supports loading from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or arbitrary URLs. It can handle plugins, completions, scripts, and binary programs. The light command provides fast loading without tracking, while load enables full reporting capabilities.
Configuration is typically placed in .zshrc after sourcing zinit. Plugins are stored in ~/.zinit/plugins/ by default, with compiled versions cached for performance.

light plugin

Load a plugin in light mode without tracking/reporting (fast).

Load a plugin with full tracking and reporting.

Load a single file or snippet from a URL or Oh-My-Zsh/Prezto.

Set modifiers for the next zinit command (compile, wait, pick, etc.).

Update specified plugin or all plugins.

Remove a plugin.

List all loaded plugins.

Show currently loaded plugins.

Update zinit itself.

Compile plugin scripts for faster loading.

Remove compiled files.

Show report for a loaded plugin.

Show loading times for plugins.

wait

Turbo mode: delay loading (can specify time like wait"1").

Skip "Loaded plugin" message.

Add plugin directory to PATH.

Load as completion script.

Select specific file to source.

Clone from GitLab instead of GitHub.

Shallow clone with depth 1.

Run command after loading.

Run command before loading.

Requires Zsh 5.1 or later. Turbo mode may cause race conditions with plugins that depend on each other. Some Oh-My-Zsh plugins require specific OMZ infrastructure to work correctly. Heavy use of ice modifiers can make configuration complex and hard to debug.

Zinit was created by Sebastian Gniazdowski, originally released as Zplugin in 2016. It was renamed to Zinit in 2019 to avoid confusion with other tools. The project pioneered Turbo mode for asynchronous plugin loading in Zsh. The original repository was archived in 2021, and community forks continue maintenance under zdharma-continuum/zinit.

zsh(1), oh-my-zsh(1), antibody(1), zplug(1), antigen(1)