Startup Key Combos vs CmdRef
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Startup Key Combos
This app provides essential key combinations for macOS startup issues and recovery modes. It helps users access different boot options, including fallback recovery for M-series Macs. Additionally, it includes shortcuts for common system actions like sleep, logout, restart, and shutdown.
- macOS startup key combinations
- macOS recovery mode access
- M-series fallback recovery
- Sleep, logout, restart, shutdown shortcuts
- Grouped by M-Series and Intel Macs
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Have you ever suffered a problem where your Mac would not start up properly? What key combination can you use to boot into macOS recovery? Were you aware that M-series Macs are equipped with a second “fallback” macOS recovery that can be utilized if the standard recovery fails? iStartup will tell you which key combinations to use. Also included are shortcuts for sleep, log out, restart, and shutdown. Shortcuts are grouped by M-Series and Intel.
CmdRef
This app serves as an offline, searchable dictionary for Windows Command Prompt (CMD) commands. It's designed as a learning tool for beginners and a quick reference for experts, helping users find commands quickly without needing internet access.
- Offline searchable CMD dictionary
- Learning tool for beginners
- Quick reference for experts
- Clean, modern design
- Easy to use and reliable
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Master Windows Command Prompt wherever you are. CmdRef is a fast, offline reference with more than 400 commands, searchable syntax, arguments, availability details, examples, and source links. Whether you are learning CMD, troubleshooting a PC, or administering Windows systems, CmdRef helps you find the right command in seconds. Its adaptive catalog is designed for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Watch. CmdRef Pro removes ads and adds private per-command notes with optional iCloud sync. CmdRef is a reference library—not a terminal or Windows emulator—and does not execute commands on your device.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CmdRef at 4.3 against Startup Key Combos's 3.7. CmdRef also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (43 vs 7). Startup Key Combos's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. CmdRef sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Startup Key Combos asks for nothing beyond the download.
CmdRef holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CmdRef has 43 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Startup Key Combos's written reviews are positive against 67% of CmdRef's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Startup Key Combos ships an update every 7 months, CmdRef every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Startup Key Combos | CmdRef |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (7 ratings) | 4.3 (43 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 67.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 43 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bayhoff Software | Moballo, LLC |
Customer experience
Startup Key Combos
CmdRef
In-app purchases
Startup Key Combos
No in-app purchases
CmdRef
- CmdRef Pro$0.99
