Atuin
Replaces your shell history with a searchable, optionally encrypted-synced database.
- Stars
- 32.2k
- Forks
- 1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Rust
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
Atuin is a tool that replaces the default history of your command-line shell with a SQLite database and records extra context for each command, such as exit code, duration, and directory. It gives you a full-screen search UI bound to keys like ctrl-r. It can optionally sync your history between machines through an Atuin server, with the history encrypted end to end.
- Press ctrl-r to search past commands in a full-screen view
- Run a filtered search such as successful make commands from a given time range
- Sync shell history between a laptop and a desktop using encrypted storage
- Import existing shell history with atuin import auto
- View statistics such as most used commands
Great for
- Developers who work in a terminal and often need to find past commands
- People who use several machines and want the same shell history on each
- Users who want history search filtered by session, directory, or globally
- Users of zsh, bash, fish, nushell, xonsh, or PowerShell
Not ideal for
- People who want the plain default shell history with no changes, since Atuin replaces how history is stored and searched
- Users who do not want any sync feature and are unwilling to read setup docs, since the README points to docs for offline or self-hosted setups
- Users on shells not listed in the README, since support is limited to the listed ones
How to get it
- 1
See the README
Install Atuin (from README quickstart)
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -LsSf https://setup.atuin.sh | shRegister with the Atuin Cloud sync server (optional)
atuin register -u <USERNAME> -e <EMAIL>Import existing shell history
atuin import autoSync history
atuin sync - 2
Run it
- Run the install script from the quickstart
- Register an account if you want sync, or skip this step
- Run atuin import auto to bring in existing history
- Restart your shell
- Press ctrl-r to open the search UI
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the filter modes switched via ctrl-r to search by session, directory, or globally
- Use atuin search with flags such as --exit and --after to narrow results
- Set up sync across machines, using the hosted server or a self-hosted one
- Use the Alt-<num> shortcut to quick-jump to previous items
- Check the docs for configuration options and the supported platforms matrix
Downloads
Strengths
- Stores history in SQLite and records context like exit code and duration
- Sync is optional and the README states it is fully encrypted
- Open source under the MIT license with an active project
Trade-offs
- Sync depends on an Atuin server, either the hosted one or one you run yourself
- Bash support relies on bash-preexec, which the README notes has limitations
- Setup involves a shell restart and account registration for the default sync path
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| atuin (this) | 32.2k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who work in a terminal and often need to find past commands |
| fzf | 83.9k | Dev tool | beginner | 8 days ago | Command-line users who often search file names or command history |
| zoxide | 40.4k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who move between many project folders in a terminal |
| autocomplete | 25.2k | Other | intermediate | 1.5 years ago | macOS developers who use zsh, bash or fish and want suggestions for common CLIs |
| direnv | 15.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 11 days ago | Developers who juggle several projects with different environment variables |
| inshellisense | 10.8k | Dev tool | beginner | 7 days ago | Developers who spend a lot of time in the terminal and want suggestions for unfamiliar command options |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.