Compare software

HSTR vs fzf: catalog facts
HSTR	fzf
Best for: Bash and Zsh users who reuse long commands from history	Best for: Picking one thing out of a list of thousands without scrolling
Free Free to use, with source published on GitHub.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Command line
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	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
Only Bash and Zsh are supported Needs shell configuration to bind it to a key	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
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for HSTR github.com/dvorka/hstr Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fzf junegunn.github.io/fzf github.com/junegunn/fzf Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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