Guard alternatives

Here's a list of known "alternatives" to Guard.

The order should be: how generally feature-complete the tool is compared to Guard.

(NOTE: if you "don't like Guard" for any reason - please open an issue so we have a chance to make things better).

Feel free to add/update entries and notes/caveats/differences.

Close in functionality to Guard (config file + plugins)

• watchdog - in Python
• nodemon - has a '-x' option

File-config based with built-in execution:

• watchman - client/server arch
• gulp
• gamin
• belvedere - Windows only, seems ancient
• watch-4-folder - Windows only, seems ancient

Library + CLI:

• fsmonitor

Non-trivial CLI tools with built-in execution:

• entrproject
• fswatch
• steeloverseer

Simple CLI tools with built-in execution:

• when-changed - written in Python
• incron - Linux only, root only
• inoticoming - watches dirs
• watchfile
• when_changed - Windows only
• java-file-change-watcher

Simple watch-only scripts, no execution built in:

• inotifywait
• wait_on - for BSD
• sleep_until_modified.py
• sleep_until_modified.sh
• kqwait - for OSX

Other

• launchd - although it only watches for path changes, not content changes
• pyinotify
• unison
• jnotify
• file.monitor
• pyfilesystem

Other sources of alternatives

• StackOverflow question 1
• StackOverflow question 2