diff --git a/news/4551.feature.rst b/news/4551.feature.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..77cd3578dab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/news/4551.feature.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Added an ``upgrade-all`` command. This command will update all packages that can be updated.
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/__init__.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/__init__.py
index e1fb8788428..8e0d2f59b1d 100644
--- a/src/pip/_internal/commands/__init__.py
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/__init__.py
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@
         'pip._internal.commands.check', 'CheckCommand',
         'Verify installed packages have compatible dependencies.',
     )),
+    ('upgrade-all', CommandInfo(
+        'pip._internal.commands.upgrade_all', 'UpgradeAllCommand',
+        'Upgrade all packages to latest version',
+    )),
     ('config', CommandInfo(
         'pip._internal.commands.configuration', 'ConfigurationCommand',
         'Manage local and global configuration.',
diff --git a/src/pip/_internal/commands/upgrade_all.py b/src/pip/_internal/commands/upgrade_all.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c99e32df0f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pip/_internal/commands/upgrade_all.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import logging
+from optparse import Values
+from typing import List
+
+from pip._internal.commands.install import InstallCommand
+from pip._internal.commands.list import ListCommand
+from pip._internal.utils.compat import stdlib_pkgs
+from pip._internal.utils.misc import get_installed_distributions
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class UpgradeAllCommand(InstallCommand, ListCommand):
+    """
+    Upgrades all out of date packages, exactly like this old oneliner used to do:
+    pip list --format freeze | \
+    grep --invert-match "pkg-resources" | \
+    cut  --delimiter "=" --fields 1 | \
+    xargs pip install --upgrade
+    """
+    usage = """
+      %prog [options]
+      %prog [options] [-e] <vcs project url> ...
+      %prog [options] [-e] <local project path> ...
+      %prog [options] <archive url/path> ..."""
+
+    def add_options(self):
+        # type: () -> None
+        # install all options from installcommand
+        InstallCommand.add_options(self)
+        # we don't upgrade in editable mode AND listcommand also has an editable option
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--editable')
+        # redefine user later
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--user')
+        # upgrade all always upgrade, so the help text for target makes no sense
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--target')
+        # we always upgrade
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--upgrade')
+        # pre is defined in installcommand and listcommand, so remove it once
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--pre')
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--index-url')
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--extra-index-url')
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--no-index')
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--find-links')
+
+        # install command will have added the cmd_opts to self.parser already,
+        # so pop them here because well' add them again later
+        del self.parser.option_groups[0]
+        # same for package index options
+        del self.parser.option_groups[0]
+
+        # install all options from listcommand
+        ListCommand.add_options(self)
+
+        # also remove options listcommand have added so we can add our real
+        # options later
+        del self.parser.option_groups[0]
+
+        # redefine user later
+        self.cmd_opts.remove_option('--user')
+        self.cmd_opts.add_option(
+            '--user',
+            dest='user',
+            action='store_true',
+            default=False,
+            help='Only upgrade packages installed in user-site.')
+        self.cmd_opts.add_option(
+            '-t', '--target',
+            dest='target_dir',
+            metavar='dir',
+            default=None,
+            help='Install packages into <dir>. '
+                 'This will replace existing files/folders in '
+                 '<dir> with new versions.'
+        )
+
+        self.parser.insert_option_group(0, self.cmd_opts)
+
+    def run(self, options, args):
+        # type: (Values, List[str]) -> int
+        skip = set(stdlib_pkgs)
+        if options.excludes:
+            skip.update(options.excludes)
+
+        packages = get_installed_distributions(
+            local_only=options.local,
+            user_only=options.user,
+            editables_only=options.editable,
+            include_editables=options.include_editable,
+            paths=options.path,
+            skip=skip,
+        )
+        if options.not_required:
+            packages = self.get_not_required(packages, options)
+
+        if options.outdated:
+            packages = self.get_outdated(packages, options)
+        packages = [dist.project_name for dist in packages]
+
+        logging.info("upgrading %s", packages)
+
+        options.upgrade = True
+        # we don't upgrade in editable mode
+        options.editable = False
+        return InstallCommand.run(self, options, packages)
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_commands.py b/tests/unit/test_commands.py
index cb144c5f6da..2d1ff99af41 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_commands.py
@@ -11,8 +11,7 @@
 
 # These are the expected names of the commands whose classes inherit from
 # IndexGroupCommand.
-EXPECTED_INDEX_GROUP_COMMANDS = [
-    'download', 'index', 'install', 'list', 'wheel']
+EXPECTED_INDEX_GROUP_COMMANDS = ['download', 'index', 'install', 'list', 'upgrade-all', 'wheel']
 
 
 def check_commands(pred, expected):
@@ -50,9 +49,8 @@ def test_session_commands():
     def is_session_command(command):
         return isinstance(command, SessionCommandMixin)
 
-    expected = [
-        'download', 'index', 'install', 'list', 'search', 'uninstall', 'wheel'
-    ]
+    expected = ['download', 'index' 'install', 'list', 'search', 'uninstall',
+                'upgrade-all', 'wheel']
     check_commands(is_session_command, expected)
 
 
@@ -113,5 +111,5 @@ def test_requirement_commands():
     """
     def is_requirement_command(command):
         return isinstance(command, RequirementCommand)
-
-    check_commands(is_requirement_command, ['download', 'install', 'wheel'])
+    check_commands(is_requirement_command, ['download', 'install', 'upgrade-all',
+                                            'wheel'])