Comparison

ShellHistory vs OpenResponses

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ShellHistory

Browse and search shell history collected from macOS devices. Organize commands into notebooks, back up and sync history via iCloud, and view statistics. Supports popular shells like zsh, bash, and fish.

Highlights
  • Browse shell history from macOS
  • Full-text search capabilities
  • Backup and sync via private iCloud
  • Organize commands in notebooks
  • View statistics over time
  • Supports zsh, bash, and fish shells
Features
Read full description

# ShellHistory for iOS ShellHistory for iOS is a companion application for the ShellHistory for macOS. iOS version of ShellHistory does not have ability to collect shell history, but allows you to browse the history collected from your macOS devices collected with ShellHistory for macOS application. ## Description With the ShellHistory, you can easily keep years of shell history, search history using Full-Text Search, back it up to your private iCloud, and create Notebooks. With ShellHistory you can: * Run full-text search queries over your shell history. * Extend your shell history by including information about the working directory, session, elapsed time, exit code, host, user, and more. * Never lose your shell history. Backup and synchronize it between Macs using your private iCloud storage. * Organize commands in notebooks to easily access the everyday workflow. * Import existing shell history. * See statistics over time. * See a complete terminal session in the order of the commands executed. * Dark and light mode support. * Multi-windows, multi-tabs support. ShellHistory easily integrates with your shell. ShellHistory supports all the most popular shells: zsh (default on macOS), bash, and fish shell. It will not break your prompt, and you can keep using your favorite terminal application. ShellHistory provides simple prompt commands, that will integrate with your shell and start recording your history. # Security ShellHistory is a sandboxed application distributed only via App Store. If you wish to synchronize your history, it will be stored in the private iCloud account, that only users with access to your AppleID can access it. Everything is stored in encrypted fields. # Feedback Check out the help page for more information https://loshadki.app/shellhistory/, have a question, or suggestion, or want to report a bug, please email us at support@loshadki.app

About

OpenResponses

This native client provides advanced control and observability for AI models. It allows users to stream responses in real-time, inspect requests, and utilize various OpenAI models with a fast interface. Features include web search, code interpretation, and image generation.

Highlights
  • Real-time response streaming
  • Request inspector for API details
  • Prompt library and advanced model controls
  • Web search and code interpreter tools
  • Image generation capabilities
  • Direct Notion and Apple system tool integration
Features
Read full description

OpenResponses is OpenAI's API on your iPhone and iPad, with nothing hidden. Bring your own API key and it shows you the request before it goes out, the events as they stream back, and every tool call along the way. It's for people who build with OpenAI's models, or who just want to see what the newest ones actually do before writing any code. It started as the successor to OpenAssistant, my app for OpenAI's older Assistants API, and talks straight to OpenAI's Responses API with no server of mine in between. PICK A MODEL AND SEE WHAT IT DOES • GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Sol, Astra and Luna, the GPT-5.6 family, and older models your key can still use. When OpenAI releases a new one, it shows up in the menu on its own, with its settings read from OpenAI's docs. • Reasoning from None to Max where the model takes it, Pro mode, verbosity, context compaction and the rest of the request settings, all in one place. • Replies stream in as they're written, with the reasoning summaries the API sends, token use, and the full request and response a tap away. • Save setups as presets, attach photos and documents, export conversations, and search your chats by what they're about, not just the exact words. THE TOOLS THE API HAS • Web search with sources, Code Interpreter, file search over your own vector stores, and image generation and editing with GPT Image 2.5, up to Max quality. • Voice conversations with GPT Realtime 2.1 or GPT-Live 1, with mute, and with headphones and Voice Barge-In on you can talk over it to cut it off. • A browser the model can drive, inside the app, with Stop, time limits and action limits. • MCP connections. Sign in to supported apps or add a server by address, look through the tools it offers, and approve tool calls unless you turn that off. • Calendar, Reminders, Contacts and Notion, only when you turn them on. • Local Python. The model writes it, you read it, you tap Run, and it runs on your phone. Standard library, no internet, 30 seconds a run. API WORKBENCH For when you'd rather write the request yourself. Edit the raw JSON, send it over HTTP, streaming or WebSocket, watch every event come back, and export the whole response. It also counts tokens, compacts context, and manages conversations, files, vector stores, containers and batch jobs. Anything that deletes asks first. A few things worth knowing before you download it: • There's no OpenResponses account. You need your own OpenAI API key, and what you use is billed to your OpenAI account. • Your key stays in the iOS Keychain and only ever goes to OpenAI. • Explore Demo lets you look around without a key, and it sends nothing. • Before your first live request, the app shows what gets sent to OpenAI and waits for you to say yes. • It runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later. One last thing. This shows you what OpenAI's models do, and they can be wrong, sometimes confidently. Check anything that matters before you act on it.

Screenshots

ShellHistory2 screens
OpenResponses4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: OpenResponses at Free against ShellHistory's $13.99. OpenResponses also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 8 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

OpenResponses is free to download; ShellHistory costs $13.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ShellHistory against 5.0 for OpenResponses. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShellHistory ships an update every 8 months, OpenResponses every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ShellHistory versus OpenResponses: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellHistoryOpenResponses
Price$13.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews90.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLoshadki, LLCGunnar Hostetler

Customer experience

ShellHistory

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

OpenResponses

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ShellHistory

No in-app purchases

None

OpenResponses

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShellHistory free?
ShellHistory costs $13.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is OpenResponses free?
OpenResponses is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ShellHistory or OpenResponses?
ShellHistory and OpenResponses are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do ShellHistory or OpenResponses have ads?
Neither ShellHistory nor OpenResponses shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShellHistory or OpenResponses?
ShellHistory ships an update every 8 months, and OpenResponses every 5 weeks. Most recently, ShellHistory was updated on October 10, 2026 and OpenResponses on October 12, 2026.

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