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htop VS psutil

Compare htop VS psutil and see what are their differences

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htop logo htop

htop - an interactive process viewer for Unix. This is htop, an interactive process viewer for Unix systems. It is a text-mode application (for console or X terminals) and requires ncurses. Latest release: htop 2.

psutil logo psutil

psutil is a module providing an interface for retrieving information on all running processes and...
  • htop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20
  • psutil Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

htop features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    htop features a colorful, visually appealing interface that displays system processes in a tree structure, which makes it easier to understand process hierarchies and relationships.
  • Interactive Process Management
    You can easily manage processes in htop by using keyboard shortcuts to kill, renice, or trace processes without needing to type out commands.
  • Customizable Display
    htop allows users to customize which metrics are displayed and in what order, enabling more efficient monitoring tailored to individual needs.
  • Resource Usage Meters
    It provides live updating meters and histograms for CPU, memory, and swap usage, offering a quick overview of system performance.
  • Process Filtering and Sorting
    htop includes advanced filtering and sorting options that make it easy to find specific processes or sort them by criteria like CPU usage, memory usage, or user.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    htop is compatible with a variety of Unix-like systems including Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and macOS, making it versatile for use in different environments.

Possible disadvantages of htop

  • Resource Consumption
    Because htop provides live updates and a rich graphical interface, it consumes more system resources compared to simpler tools like top.
  • Limited Remote Monitoring
    htop does not natively support remote monitoring of systems, which can make it less useful in distributed or cloud environments without additional tools or configurations.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is intuitive, mastering htop's advanced features and customizations may require additional learning and familiarity.
  • No Built-in Logging
    htop does not have functionality for logging or saving historical data, which can limit its usefulness for performance tracking over time without third-party tools.
  • Dependency on Terminal
    As a terminal-based application, htop requires a terminal to run, which might not be ideal for users who prefer GUI-based monitoring tools.
  • Lack of Detailed Metrics
    htop provides an overview of system performance but does not offer the granularity of metrics provided by specialized monitoring tools dedicated to in-depth analysis.

psutil features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Psutil is designed to work across different operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS, providing a unified API for system monitoring.
  • Comprehensive Functionality
    It offers a wide range of features for monitoring system performance metrics such as CPU usage, memory, disks, network, and system sensors.
  • Active Maintenance and Support
    Psutil is actively maintained with regular updates and bug fixes, ensuring that it remains reliable and up-to-date with new system metrics and features.
  • Well-Documented
    The library comes with extensive documentation and examples, making it easier for developers to integrate and utilize its functionalities.
  • Pythonic API
    Psutil provides a clear and Pythonic interface, allowing Python developers to easily integrate system monitoring capabilities into their applications.

Possible disadvantages of psutil

  • Resource Intensive
    While providing extensive monitoring capabilities, psutil can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting system performance when monitoring frequently or on resource-constrained systems.
  • Platform-Specific Limitations
    Some functionality may not be available on all platforms, requiring platform-specific considerations or workarounds in application development.
  • Requires Administrative Privileges
    Certain metrics and functionalities may require administrative privileges, potentially limiting usage in restricted environments or without proper permissions.
  • Version Compatibility
    There may be compatibility issues between different versions of psutil and Python, requiring careful management of dependencies in larger projects.

Analysis of htop

Overall verdict

  • Yes, htop is considered a good tool. It improves upon the functionality of the standard top command by providing a more intuitive interface and additional features that enhance usability and efficiency in system monitoring.

Why this product is good

  • Htop is an interactive process viewer for Unix systems, offering an enhanced, user-friendly alternative to the traditional top command. It provides a visually appealing interface that allows users to easily monitor system processes, resource usage, and performance in real-time. Features like tree view for process hierarchies, customizable meters, and the ability to manage processes make it a popular tool among system administrators and power users.

Recommended for

  • System administrators
  • Linux and Unix users
  • IT professionals
  • Developers interested in system performance
  • Servers monitoring

htop videos

+ Add

Htop Review Video

More videos:

  • Review - HTOP Hotel DO's and DONT's || REVIEW #2
  • Review - Htop - Terminal-Based Interactive Process Viewing Program

psutil videos

No psutil videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to htop and psutil)

htop

psutil

Monitoring Tools
76 76%
Monitoring Tools
24% 24
Command Line Tools
82 82%
Command Line Tools
18% 18
Performance Monitoring
85 85%
Performance Monitoring
15% 15
Tool
100 100%
Tool
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare htop and psutil

htop Reviews

Best Linux Network Monitoring Tools for 2020
At this point in the list, we’re starting to review less-complex programs to monitor small-network use with accuracy and reliability. Htop (the H stands for the designer’s name, Hisham) doesn’t contain graphical analysis software, but it provides a flexible monitoring program that can be installed on Linux as well as Unix-based systems. Htop might not be the most visually...
Source: www.dnsstuff.com

psutil Reviews

We have no reviews of psutil yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, psutil seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

htop mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of htop yet. Tracking of htop recommendations started around Mar 2021.

psutil mentions (1)

  • Profiling Python code with memory_profiler
    It uses the psutil library (or can use tracemalloc or posix) to access process information in a cross platform way, so it works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. - Source: dev.to / about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing htop and psutil, you can also consider the following products

Process Explorer - The top window always shows a list of the currently active processes, including the names of their owning accounts, whereas the information displayed in the bottom window depends on the mode that Process Explorer is in: if it is in handle mode you'l…

nmon - This systems administrator, tuner, benchmark tool gives you a huge amount of important performance...

glances system monitoring - Glances is a cross-platform system monitoring tool written in Python. Written in Python, Glances will run on almost any plaftorm : GNU/Linux, FreeBSD, OS X and Windows.

iftop - iftop does for network usage what top(1) does for CPU usage.

Windows Task Manager - Need assistance with your Microsoft product? Find helpful articles for Windows, Office, Microsoft Account, Microsoft Store, Xbox, and more.

gtop - System monitoring dashboard for terminal

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