Skip to content
Stork.AIstork.ai
AI Tool

Hister Review

Hister is an open-source, self-hosted tool that creates a private, full-text search engine out of browsing history and local files, indexing content for recall and integration with AI agents.

shipped Aug 29, 2026freemium
Domain rating27
Hister — product screenshot

Why it matters

1Hister is an open-source, self-hosted search engine released under the AGPLv3 License.
2It indexes the full content of visited web pages and local files, including PDFs, DOCX, and Markdown.
3Hister offers a developer API, with documentation available at https://hister.org/docs/.
4The platform features browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox for automatic page indexing.

About Hister

Business Model
Open Source
Funding
Bootstrapped
Platforms
Web, Desktop
Target Audience
Individuals seeking a private search engine solution
API DocsGitHubOpen Source

Specs

API Docs

View Documentation →

API Available

Yes, public API

Screenshots

overview

What is Hister?

Hister is a personal search engine tool developed by asciimoo that enables individuals to create a private, full-text search index of their digital content. It indexes the full content of web pages visited, local files, and imported browser history, providing a user-controlled knowledge base.

features

Key Features of Hister

Hister provides a robust set of features designed for private, comprehensive content indexing and retrieval. Its architecture prioritizes user control and data privacy, offering capabilities beyond standard browser history functions.

  • Private and controlled search index: All indexed data resides on the user's server, ensuring full data ownership.
  • Full-text indexing: Indexes the entire content of visited web pages and local files (PDFs, DOCX, Markdown, text files).
  • Automatic browser indexing: Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox automatically save newly visited pages.
  • Powerful query language: Supports advanced searches with field filters, exact phrases, wildcards, negation, and result priorities.
  • Optional semantic search: Allows configuration of custom embeddings endpoints for meaning-based document retrieval.
  • Versatile content ingestion: Imports existing browser history, crawls specified websites, and monitors local directories.
  • Multiple client interfaces: Accessible via a web interface, terminal user interface (TUI), command-line interface (CLI), and API.
  • AI Assistant Integration (MCP): Built-in Multi-Client Protocol (MCP) server enables AI assistants to access and search indexed history for context.
  • No telemetry: By default, Hister operates without any data collection or cloud synchronization.

use cases

Who Should Use Hister?

Hister is designed for users who require a high degree of privacy and control over their digital information, offering specific solutions for personal knowledge management and AI agent integration.

  • Individuals seeking a private, self-hosted search solution to reduce dependence on online search engines.
  • Researchers or professionals needing to index and search their own collected digital content, including web pages and local files.
  • Users who want to build a personal, searchable knowledge base from their browsing history, bookmarks, and documents.
  • Developers looking for a tool with API and command-line integration for custom workflows and AI agent context provision.

how to use

How to Use Hister

To begin using Hister, users typically deploy the self-hosted server and then integrate browser extensions or import existing data. The process involves setting up the local environment and configuring content sources.

  • 1Download and install the Hister server software on a local machine or private server.
  • 2Configure content sources, such as specifying directories for local file indexing.
  • 3Install the Hister browser extension for Chrome or Firefox to automatically index visited web pages.
  • 4Import existing browser history and bookmarks through the provided interface or CLI.
  • 5Utilize the web interface, TUI, or CLI to perform full-text searches on indexed content.
  • 6Optionally, connect AI assistants via the built-in MCP server to provide them with indexed context.

pricing

Hister Pricing & Plans

Hister is distributed as free, open-source software under the AGPLv3 License. There are no paid plans or subscription tiers for the core software. Development is supported by community contributions, including code, suggestions, and financial sponsorship.

  • Freemium: Free (open-source core with no mandatory paid features)

Pros

  • +Full control over data privacy with no telemetry or mandatory cloud services.
  • +Comprehensive full-text indexing of web pages, local files (PDF, DOCX, Markdown), and browser history.
  • +Open-source software under AGPLv3 License, allowing for community contributions and transparency.
  • +Integration with AI assistants via a built-in Multi-Client Protocol (MCP) server for contextual recall.
  • +Multiple interfaces including web, TUI, CLI, and an API for flexible interaction.
  • +Powerful query language supporting advanced search parameters like field filters and wildcards.

Cons

  • −Requires self-hosting and technical setup, which may be a barrier for non-technical users.
  • −Reliance on community contributions for development and support, without dedicated commercial backing.
  • −No prominent user reviews or widespread reception data available as of early 2024.
  • −Initial setup and ongoing maintenance of a personal server may require time and resources.

More on Stork

Related AI Tools

Other tools in this category, matched by shared tags

ViewDoctorNextool AI AcademyHotSeatAIQueay - One QA PlatformHavensLightSubFex
Visit Hister↗
Connect
⌘
GitHubgithub.com/asciimoo/hister
💬
Discorddiscord.gg/beEyuHxRSs

Featured in articles