[tbyehl]

MinGW is a compatibility library for compiling Unix programs to Windows. MSYS is a collection of tools on top of MinGW. Cygwin as a whole is comparable to MSYS. Has its own compatibility library, a broader collection of ported programs, and a way to choose which programs are installed. Babun is an extension of Cygwin.

The use case for them is "I want a Windows shell that works exactly like Unix" or "I want to port a Unix program to Windows with minimal effort."

Cmder and ConEmu address a bunch of deficiencies in the Windows Console Host (conhost.exe) that provides the UI for all console programs on Windows. They add features like resizable and tabbed windows but behind the scenes they're running conhost in a hidden window and redirecting i/o.

The primary use case for Cmder and ConEmu is "I think the Windows Console Host sucks and want something better."

GoW is a collection of GNU programs compiled for Windows with no dependencies on Cygwin or MinGW. The use case is "I want a Windows port of some common Unix command-line programs without any extra baggage."