diff --git a/internal/cli/banger.go b/internal/cli/banger.go
index b5fe81d..49aa74f 100644
--- a/internal/cli/banger.go
+++ b/internal/cli/banger.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func NewBangerCommand() *cobra.Command {
 		RunE:          helpNoArgs,
 	}
 	root.CompletionOptions.DisableDefaultCmd = true
-	root.AddCommand(newDaemonCommand(), newDoctorCommand(), newImageCommand(), newInternalCommand(), newVersionCommand(), newVMCommand())
+	root.AddCommand(newDaemonCommand(), newDoctorCommand(), newImageCommand(), newInternalCommand(), newVersionCommand(), newPSCommand(), newVMCommand())
 	return root
 }
 
@@ -626,27 +626,79 @@ func newVMCreateCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	return cmd
 }
 
+type vmListOptions struct {
+	showAll bool
+	latest  bool
+	quiet   bool
+}
+
+func newPSCommand() *cobra.Command {
+	return newVMListLikeCommand("ps", nil, "usage: banger ps")
+}
+
 func newVMListCommand() *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "list",
-		Short: "List VMs",
-		Args:  noArgsUsage("usage: banger vm list"),
+	return newVMListLikeCommand("list", []string{"ls", "ps"}, "usage: banger vm list")
+}
+
+func newVMListLikeCommand(use string, aliases []string, usage string) *cobra.Command {
+	var opts vmListOptions
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:     use,
+		Aliases: aliases,
+		Short:   "List VMs",
+		Args:    noArgsUsage(usage),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
-			layout, _, err := ensureDaemon(cmd.Context())
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			result, err := rpc.Call[api.VMListResult](cmd.Context(), layout.SocketPath, "vm.list", api.Empty{})
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			images, err := rpc.Call[api.ImageListResult](cmd.Context(), layout.SocketPath, "image.list", api.Empty{})
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-			return printVMListTable(cmd.OutOrStdout(), result.VMs, imageNameIndex(images.Images))
+			return runVMList(cmd, opts)
 		},
 	}
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&opts.showAll, "all", "a", false, "show all VMs")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&opts.latest, "latest", "l", false, "show only the latest VM")
+	cmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&opts.quiet, "quiet", "q", false, "only show VM IDs")
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func runVMList(cmd *cobra.Command, opts vmListOptions) error {
+	layout, _, err := ensureDaemon(cmd.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	result, err := rpc.Call[api.VMListResult](cmd.Context(), layout.SocketPath, "vm.list", api.Empty{})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	vms := selectVMListVMs(result.VMs, opts.showAll, opts.latest)
+	if opts.quiet {
+		return printVMIDList(cmd.OutOrStdout(), vms)
+	}
+	images, err := rpc.Call[api.ImageListResult](cmd.Context(), layout.SocketPath, "image.list", api.Empty{})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return printVMListTable(cmd.OutOrStdout(), vms, imageNameIndex(images.Images))
+}
+
+func selectVMListVMs(vms []model.VMRecord, showAll, latest bool) []model.VMRecord {
+	filtered := make([]model.VMRecord, 0, len(vms))
+	for _, vm := range vms {
+		if !showAll && vm.State != model.VMStateRunning {
+			continue
+		}
+		filtered = append(filtered, vm)
+	}
+	if !latest || len(filtered) <= 1 {
+		return filtered
+	}
+	latestVM := filtered[0]
+	for _, vm := range filtered[1:] {
+		if vm.CreatedAt.After(latestVM.CreatedAt) {
+			latestVM = vm
+			continue
+		}
+		if vm.CreatedAt.Equal(latestVM.CreatedAt) && vm.UpdatedAt.After(latestVM.UpdatedAt) {
+			latestVM = vm
+		}
+	}
+	return []model.VMRecord{latestVM}
 }
 
 func newVMShowCommand() *cobra.Command {
@@ -2054,6 +2106,15 @@ func printVMSummary(out anyWriter, vm model.VMRecord) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func printVMIDList(out anyWriter, vms []model.VMRecord) error {
+	for _, vm := range vms {
+		if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(out, vm.ID); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func printVMListTable(out anyWriter, vms []model.VMRecord, imageNames map[string]string) error {
 	w := tabwriter.NewWriter(out, 0, 8, 2, ' ', 0)
 	if _, err := fmt.Fprintln(w, "ID\tNAME\tSTATE\tIMAGE\tIP\tVCPU\tMEM\tDISK\tCREATED"); err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index 83c6b15..d625555 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func TestNewBangerCommandHasExpectedSubcommands(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, sub := range cmd.Commands() {
 		names = append(names, sub.Name())
 	}
-	want := []string{"daemon", "doctor", "image", "internal", "version", "vm"}
+	want := []string{"daemon", "doctor", "image", "internal", "ps", "version", "vm"}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(names, want) {
 		t.Fatalf("subcommands = %v, want %v", names, want)
 	}
@@ -155,6 +155,47 @@ func TestInternalPackagesCommandSupportsAlpine(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestPSAndVMListAliasesAndFlagsExist(t *testing.T) {
+	root := NewBangerCommand()
+	ps, _, err := root.Find([]string{"ps"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find ps: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, flagName := range []string{"all", "latest", "quiet"} {
+		if ps.Flags().Lookup(flagName) == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("missing ps flag %q", flagName)
+		}
+	}
+	vm, _, err := root.Find([]string{"vm"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find vm: %v", err)
+	}
+	list, _, err := vm.Find([]string{"list"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find list: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, _, err := vm.Find([]string{"ls"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find ls alias: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, _, err := vm.Find([]string{"ps"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("find ps alias: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, flagName := range []string{"all", "latest", "quiet"} {
+		if list.Flags().Lookup(flagName) == nil {
+			t.Fatalf("missing vm list flag %q", flagName)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPSCommandRejectsArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := NewBangerCommand()
+	cmd.SetArgs([]string{"ps", "extra"})
+	err := cmd.Execute()
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "usage: banger ps") {
+		t.Fatalf("Execute() error = %v, want ps usage error", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestVMCreateFlagsExist(t *testing.T) {
 	root := NewBangerCommand()
 	vm, _, err := root.Find([]string{"vm"})
@@ -595,6 +636,49 @@ func TestPrintImageListTableShowsRootfsSizes(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestSelectVMListVMsDefaultsToRunning(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	vms := []model.VMRecord{
+		{ID: "running-1", State: model.VMStateRunning, CreatedAt: now.Add(-3 * time.Hour)},
+		{ID: "stopped-1", State: model.VMStateStopped, CreatedAt: now.Add(-2 * time.Hour)},
+		{ID: "running-2", State: model.VMStateRunning, CreatedAt: now.Add(-1 * time.Hour)},
+	}
+	got := selectVMListVMs(vms, false, false)
+	if len(got) != 2 || got[0].ID != "running-1" || got[1].ID != "running-2" {
+		t.Fatalf("selectVMListVMs() = %#v, want only running VMs in original order", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSelectVMListVMsLatestUsesFilteredSet(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	vms := []model.VMRecord{
+		{ID: "running-old", State: model.VMStateRunning, CreatedAt: now.Add(-3 * time.Hour)},
+		{ID: "stopped-new", State: model.VMStateStopped, CreatedAt: now.Add(-30 * time.Minute)},
+		{ID: "running-new", State: model.VMStateRunning, CreatedAt: now.Add(-1 * time.Hour)},
+	}
+	got := selectVMListVMs(vms, false, true)
+	if len(got) != 1 || got[0].ID != "running-new" {
+		t.Fatalf("selectVMListVMs(default latest) = %#v, want latest running VM", got)
+	}
+	got = selectVMListVMs(vms, true, true)
+	if len(got) != 1 || got[0].ID != "stopped-new" {
+		t.Fatalf("selectVMListVMs(all latest) = %#v, want latest VM across all states", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPrintVMIDListShowsFullIDs(t *testing.T) {
+	var out bytes.Buffer
+	err := printVMIDList(&out, []model.VMRecord{{ID: "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef"}, {ID: "fedcba9876543210fedcba9876543210"}})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("printVMIDList() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(out.String()), "\n")
+	want := []string{"0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef", "fedcba9876543210fedcba9876543210"}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(lines, want) {
+		t.Fatalf("lines = %v, want %v", lines, want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPrintVMListTableShowsImageNames(t *testing.T) {
 	var out bytes.Buffer
 	err := printVMListTable(&out, []model.VMRecord{