Crates / signal-hook / Alternatives
Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to signal-hook
Short answerThe closest alternatives to signal-hook on crates.io data are which (818K real downloads a day), xattr (811K real downloads a day), shell-words (485K real downloads a day). Of the 6 we list, the most used is which, and 5 shipped a release in the last year. signal-hook itself gets 704,970 a day with 1,218 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs signal-hook | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| which Widely used | 817,673 | 1.16x | 2,276 | 59d | keyword "unix" | side by side |
| xattr Established | 811,488 | 1.15x | 150 | 13mo | keyword "unix" | compare |
| shell-words Established | 484,979 | 0.69x | 863 | 10mo | keyword "unix" | compare |
| async-signal Pulled in | 369,929 | 0.52x | 21 | 7mo | keyword "signal" | compare |
| resolv-conf Pulled in | 322,165 | 0.46x | 22 | 11mo | keyword "unix" | compare |
| ctrlc Widely used | 273,774 | 0.39x | 2,278 | 8mo | keyword "signal" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with signal-hook; read its description before you swap.
- More dependents means more answered questions and a smaller chance it disappears.
- Check the last release against how fast you need fixes. For signal-hook: is it still maintained?
Rules
Alternatives = tracked crates (top 1000 by downloads) that share a specific crates.io category (2 points each) or keyword (3 points each) with signal-hook, most similar first; its own parts (same name prefix) and crates it depends on or that depend on it are left out, because those are companions, not substitutes. Real downloads = quiet-day median, crates.io data Oct 24, 2026. Built when we find 3 or more.
Up next
The closest alternative: Widely used and steady. 817,673 real downloads a day.whichRust crate. A Rust equivalent of Unix command "which". Locate installed executable in cross platforms. Real use: 818K downloads a day on quiet days; 2,276 crates depend...Read it next →Also worth your time