Suvadu vs Hstr: A Modern Hstr Alternative for Shell History (2026)
Looking for an Hstr alternative? Suvadu vs Hstr compared on storage, search, privacy, and AI agent support — and why a SQLite-backed history beats a text file.
Hstr (HSTR) has been a reliable companion for years — a curses-based UI that makes your Bash/Zsh history searchable, with favorites and the ability to clean out commands you don't want. It's lightweight and it works. But it's also built around the same plain-text history file your shell has always used, and that design ceiling is exactly why people start looking for an Hstr alternative. Here's how Suvadu compares.
Suvadu vs Hstr at a glance
| Feature | Suvadu | Hstr |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Rust | C |
| Storage | SQLite (WAL mode) | Plain text history file |
| Metadata per command | Dir, exit code, timestamp, executor, session | Command text (+ timestamps if enabled) |
| Search | Full-screen TUI + filter panel | Curses UI, ranking/substring/regex |
| Favorites / bookmarks | Bookmarks & notes | Favorites |
| Storage / sync | Local database; no built-in cloud sync | Uses local shell history |
| AI agent tracking | Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, Antigravity | — |
| MCP server | Built-in (21 tools) | — |
| Risk assessment | Yes | — |
| Stats / heatmap | Yes | — |
| Cross-machine export | Plaintext JSONL/JSON/CSV; JSONL import | — |
Where Hstr is great
- It's tiny and ubiquitous. Hstr is in most package managers, has almost no footprint, and runs anywhere — including older boxes where you wouldn't install anything heavier.
- History cleanup. Hstr makes it genuinely easy to remove commands you never want to see again, straight from the UI.
- Favorites. Pinning frequently-used commands is simple and effective.
If you want the lightest possible improvement over raw history search on a stock machine, Hstr is a fine choice. Suvadu's case is about what a database-backed history unlocks that a text file simply can't.
1. A database instead of a text file
Hstr reads the history file your shell writes. That file can include timestamps and durations when configured, while shell options control multi-session behavior; it still lacks fields such as exit code, directory, session, and executor. Suvadu records those fields in SQLite in WAL mode, enabling structured filters and stats.
2. Search that filters, not just matches
Hstr's UI ranks and matches your history well. Suvadu's search TUI goes further with a filter panel — narrow by directory, time range, exit code, session, or executor before you even start typing. When your history has tens of thousands of entries across many projects, filtering beats scrolling.
3. It understands AI coding agents
Hstr does not add an executor field to shell history. Suvadu records executor attribution for captured commands; prompt text is included only for integrations that capture it. You can review and replay that activity and apply rule-based risk assessment. See agent tracking.
4. Your history as agent memory
Suvadu's local MCP server lets a connected AI client query captured history. Returned data is available to the client and may be sent to its provider under the client's settings. Hstr does not include an MCP server.
So, Hstr or Suvadu?
- Stay on Hstr if you want a minimal, dependency-light history search with easy cleanup and favorites on a stock machine.
- Move to Suvadu if you want structured, queryable history, real filtering and stats, AI-agent tracking, or history exposed to your agent via MCP.
The Suvadu installer provides the binary and prints the shell-integration step. It can import Suvadu JSONL exports or a raw Zsh history file without modifying the source file.
Install Suvadu → · Compare Atuin, fzf, McFly, hstr and Suvadu →
Builder of Suvadu. Writes Rust, thinks about shell history more than most people, and believes developer tools should be local-first.