diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
index b82a77b545..74c1031055 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/default_context.rs
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ pub fn create_default_context(cwd: impl AsRef<Path>) -> EngineState {
             Skip,
             SkipUntil,
             SkipWhile,
+            SortBy,
             Transpose,
             Uniq,
             Update,
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/mod.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/mod.rs
index 0eb48165bc..64f84c071a 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/mod.rs
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ mod reverse;
 mod select;
 mod shuffle;
 mod skip;
+mod sort_by;
 mod transpose;
 mod uniq;
 mod update;
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ pub use reverse::Reverse;
 pub use select::Select;
 pub use shuffle::Shuffle;
 pub use skip::*;
+pub use sort_by::SortBy;
 pub use transpose::Transpose;
 pub use uniq::*;
 pub use update::Update;
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/sort_by.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/sort_by.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d84585dec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/sort_by.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+use nu_engine::CallExt;
+use nu_protocol::ast::Call;
+use nu_protocol::engine::{Command, EngineState, Stack};
+use nu_protocol::{
+    Category, Example, IntoInterruptiblePipelineData, PipelineData, ShellError, Signature, Span,
+    SyntaxShape, Value,
+};
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct SortBy;
+
+impl Command for SortBy {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "sort-by"
+    }
+
+    fn signature(&self) -> nu_protocol::Signature {
+        Signature::build("sort-by")
+            .rest("columns", SyntaxShape::Any, "the column(s) to sort by")
+            .switch("reverse", "Sort in reverse order", Some('r'))
+            .category(Category::Filters)
+    }
+
+    fn usage(&self) -> &str {
+        "Sort by the given columns, in increasing order."
+    }
+
+    fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
+        vec![
+            Example {
+                example: "[2 0 1] | sort-by",
+                description: "sort the list by increasing value",
+                result: Some(Value::List {
+                    vals: vec![Value::test_int(0), Value::test_int(1), Value::test_int(2)],
+                    span: Span::test_data(),
+                }),
+            },
+            Example {
+                example: "[2 0 1] | sort-by -r",
+                description: "sort the list by decreasing value",
+                result: Some(Value::List {
+                    vals: vec![Value::test_int(2), Value::test_int(1), Value::test_int(0)],
+                    span: Span::test_data(),
+                }),
+            },
+            Example {
+                example: "[betty amy sarah] | sort-by",
+                description: "sort a list of strings",
+                result: Some(Value::List {
+                    vals: vec![
+                        Value::test_string("amy"),
+                        Value::test_string("betty"),
+                        Value::test_string("sarah"),
+                    ],
+                    span: Span::test_data(),
+                }),
+            },
+            Example {
+                example: "[betty amy sarah] | sort-by -r",
+                description: "sort a list of strings in reverse",
+                result: Some(Value::List {
+                    vals: vec![
+                        Value::test_string("sarah"),
+                        Value::test_string("betty"),
+                        Value::test_string("amy"),
+                    ],
+                    span: Span::test_data(),
+                }),
+            },
+        ]
+    }
+
+    fn run(
+        &self,
+        engine_state: &EngineState,
+        stack: &mut Stack,
+        call: &Call,
+        input: PipelineData,
+    ) -> Result<PipelineData, ShellError> {
+        let columns: Vec<String> = call.rest(engine_state, stack, 0)?;
+        let reverse = call.has_flag("reverse");
+        let mut vec: Vec<_> = input.into_iter().collect();
+
+        sort(&mut vec, columns, call)?;
+
+        if reverse {
+            vec.reverse()
+        }
+
+        let iter = vec.into_iter();
+        Ok(iter.into_pipeline_data(engine_state.ctrlc.clone()))
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn sort(vec: &mut [Value], columns: Vec<String>, call: &Call) -> Result<(), ShellError> {
+    match &vec[0] {
+        Value::Record {
+            cols: _cols,
+            vals: _input_vals,
+            ..
+        } => {
+            vec.sort_by(|a, b| {
+                process(a, b, &columns[0], call)
+                    .expect("sort_by Value::Record bug")
+                    .compare()
+            });
+        }
+        _ => {
+            vec.sort_by(|a, b| coerce_compare(a, b).expect("sort_by default bug").compare());
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub fn process(
+    left: &Value,
+    right: &Value,
+    column: &str,
+    call: &Call,
+) -> Result<CompareValues, (&'static str, &'static str)> {
+    let left_value = left.get_data_by_key(column);
+
+    let left_res = match left_value {
+        Some(left_res) => left_res,
+        None => Value::Nothing { span: call.head },
+    };
+
+    let right_value = right.get_data_by_key(column);
+
+    let right_res = match right_value {
+        Some(right_res) => right_res,
+        None => Value::Nothing { span: call.head },
+    };
+
+    coerce_compare(&left_res, &right_res)
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum CompareValues {
+    Ints(i64, i64),
+    // Floats(f64, f64),
+    String(String, String),
+    Booleans(bool, bool),
+}
+
+impl CompareValues {
+    pub fn compare(&self) -> std::cmp::Ordering {
+        match self {
+            CompareValues::Ints(left, right) => left.cmp(right),
+            // f64: std::cmp::Ord is required
+            // CompareValues::Floats(left, right) => left.cmp(right),
+            CompareValues::String(left, right) => left.cmp(right),
+            CompareValues::Booleans(left, right) => left.cmp(right),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn coerce_compare(
+    left: &Value,
+    right: &Value,
+) -> Result<CompareValues, (&'static str, &'static str)> {
+    match (left, right) {
+        /*
+        (Value::Float { val: left, .. }, Value::Float { val: right, .. }) => {
+            Ok(CompareValues::Floats(*left, *right))
+        }
+        */
+        (Value::Int { val: left, .. }, Value::Int { val: right, .. }) => {
+            Ok(CompareValues::Ints(*left, *right))
+        }
+        (Value::String { val: left, .. }, Value::String { val: right, .. }) => {
+            Ok(CompareValues::String(left.clone(), right.clone()))
+        }
+        (Value::Bool { val: left, .. }, Value::Bool { val: right, .. }) => {
+            Ok(CompareValues::Booleans(*left, *right))
+        }
+        _ => Err(("coerce_compare_left", "coerce_compare_right")),
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_examples() {
+        use crate::test_examples;
+
+        test_examples(SortBy {})
+    }
+}