Compare software

fzf vs HSTR: catalog facts
fzf	HSTR
Best for: Picking one thing out of a list of thousands without scrolling	Best for: Bash and Zsh users who reuse long commands from history
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free to use, with source published on GitHub.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Command line	Linux, Command line
Filters any list at all, because it just reads standard input Shell integration gives instant fuzzy command history and file search All 4 strengths for fzf Filters any list at all, because it just reads standard input Shell integration gives instant fuzzy command history and file search Preview windows and key bindings turn scripts into real interfaces Single binary, with Vim and Neovim plugins included	Interactive search through shell history Works with both Bash and Zsh All 3 strengths for HSTR Interactive search through shell history Works with both Bash and Zsh Documented configuration and man page
Command line only, and its real power needs shell scripting Fuzzy matching sometimes surfaces a surprising first result All 4 limitations for fzf Command line only, and its real power needs shell scripting Fuzzy matching sometimes surfaces a surprising first result Key binding setup differs per shell The manual is long because the option set is large	Only Bash and Zsh are supported Needs shell configuration to bind it to a key
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fzf junegunn.github.io/fzf github.com/junegunn/fzf Catalog checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for HSTR github.com/dvorka/hstr Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.