Software Alternatives & Startups

Process Explorer VS Process Hacker

Compare Process Explorer VS Process Hacker and see what are their differences

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…

Rating
0 reviews
Process Hacker

Process Hacker is a feature-packed tool for manipulating processes and services on your computer.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Process Explorer should be more popular than Process Hacker. It has been mentioned 289 times since March 2021.

social mentions
289 vs 40
Monitoring Tools popularity
77% vs 23%
alternatives listed
170 vs 144

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Process Explorer
Process Hacker
Website learn.microsoft.com systeminformer.io
Pricing —
Open source
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Process Explorer 6 features
Process Hacker 5 features
  • Detailed System Information
    Process Explorer provides in-depth information about system processes, including detailed CPU and memory usage stats.
  • Hierarchical View
    It shows processes in a tree structure, making it easy to understand parent-child relationships between processes.
  • Advanced Diagnostic Capabilities
    The tool offers advanced features like DLL and handle viewing, allowing detailed investigation of system issues.
  • Real-Time Monitoring
    It allows real-time monitoring of system performance, including CPU, GPU, and I/O activity, which is critical for diagnosing performance bottlenecks.
  • Integration with VirusTotal
    Process Explorer can integrate with VirusTotal to check the safety of running processes, adding an extra layer of security.
  • Free to Use
    Process Explorer is part of the Sysinternals suite, which is freely available for use, making it accessible for both individual users and organizations.

Possible disadvantages

  • Complexity
    The extensive features and detailed information can be overwhelming for novice users who may find the interface complex to navigate.
  • Resource Intensive
    While generally lightweight, the comprehensive monitoring features can consume a noticeable amount of system resources, which might affect performance on older or less powerful systems.
  • Windows Only
    Process Explorer is designed specifically for Windows operating systems, limiting its use for those who work in cross-platform environments.
  • No Built-In Reporting
    The tool does not offer built-in reporting capabilities, requiring users to manually capture and document information.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its advanced features and detailed information, new users might face a steep learning curve before being able to fully utilize all its capabilities.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there are some resources available, the documentation can be sparse, making it difficult for users to find solutions to specific problems.
  • Open Source
    Process Hacker is an open source project, which means that its source code is freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. This enhances transparency and community involvement.
  • Feature-Rich
    The software offers a comprehensive set of features, including process management, memory viewing/editing, and system monitoring. These features can be particularly useful for advanced users and IT professionals.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application has a clean and intuitive interface that allows users to navigate through various functionalities with ease. This makes it accessible even to less experienced users.
  • Customization
    Users have the ability to customize various aspects of the application, such as the appearance and behavior of the interface. This allows for a more personalized user experience.
  • Performance Monitoring
    Process Hacker provides detailed performance metrics for processes, which can help in diagnosing bottlenecks and resource-heavy applications. This is valuable for system optimization.

Possible disadvantages

  • Security Concerns
    Because it provides advanced system-level capabilities, there is a risk that it could be used for malicious activities if it falls into the wrong hands. Users need to exercise caution.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users have reported compatibility issues with certain versions of Windows or specific hardware configurations. This can limit its effectiveness on those systems.
  • Resource Usage
    Running Process Hacker itself requires a fair amount of system resources, which may affect the performance of older or less powerful machines.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, the depth and breadth of features can be overwhelming to new users. A period of learning and acclimatization may be required.
  • Support
    As an open source project, Process Hacker relies heavily on community support. Users may find that official support options are limited compared to commercial software.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Process Explorer
Process Hacker

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Process Explorer is generally regarded as a good and reliable tool by both system administrators and other IT professionals. It is frequently recommended for its depth of features, ease of use, and the detailed process information it provides.

Why this product is good

  • Process Explorer is considered a valuable tool because it offers comprehensive insights into system processes, threads, and resource usage. It provides detailed information about which files and directories individual processes have open, the DLLs they have loaded, and more. Its ability to offer real-time data and powerful searching capabilities makes it invaluable for troubleshooting and performance monitoring.

Recommended for

  • System administrators
  • IT professionals
  • Software developers
  • Anyone interested in detailed system diagnostics
  • Users troubleshooting application issues

Overall verdict

  • Process Hacker is generally well-regarded in the tech community for its comprehensive set of features and its ability to provide insight into system performance and resource management. It is a valuable tool for diagnosing system issues and managing applications. However, because of its powerful capabilities, it requires a certain level of expertise to use effectively and safely. Users should exercise caution and ensure they understand the potential impacts of modifying system processes.

Why this product is good

  • Process Hacker, available at systeminformer.sourceforge.io, is considered a good tool for several reasons. It is an open-source, advanced task manager and system monitoring tool that provides detailed information about system processes. It offers more depth and functionality than the default task manager in Windows, allowing users to terminate processes, modify service properties, and even delve into detailed statistics about system resource usage. Its powerful features make it particularly attractive to power users, system administrators, and developers. The tool also supports various plugins, enhancing its capability to monitor and manage system resources.

Recommended for

    Process Hacker is recommended for advanced users such as IT professionals, system administrators, and developers who require an in-depth tool for system monitoring and process management. It is also suitable for tech-savvy users who need more control over their system’s performance than what the default task manager provides. Casual users may find the interface and functionality overwhelming and should use it carefully to avoid accidental system misconfigurations.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Process Explorer 3 videos + Add
Process Hacker 3 videos + Add

Sysinternals Process Explorer Review + download link and method

More videos

  • - Scan for Malware Using Process Explorer and Virus Total
  • - What Is?: Process Explorer?

What is Process Hacker Explained

More videos

  • - Detectando procesos con process hacker 2
  • - Using Process Hacker 2

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Process Explorer
Process Hacker
77% 77%
23% 23%
77% 77%
23% 23%
76% 76%
24% 24%
61% 61%
39% 39%

User comments

Share your experience with using Process Explorer and Process Hacker. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Process Explorer no reviews yet
Process Hacker no reviews yet

We have no reviews of Process Explorer yet. Be the first one to post

  • 8 Best WinPatrol Alternatives
    www.comparitech.com · Oct 2020

    Process Hacker is a free, open-source system monitoring, management, and security tool for PCs. The main service of this utility is like the Task Manager of Windows with some extra features. The tabbed interface shows...

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Process Explorer 289 mentions
Process Hacker 40 mentions
  • Stats – macOS system monitor in your menu bar
    Unclear what you mean by programmable, but https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer is the bee's knees and you can set an option to have it take over taskmon.exe, launch on login, and put as many of the... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: What tools do you recommend for working on Windows?
    Always put all your portable programs in the "A:\MyPC\Programs\" folder. Always put all your documents in the "A:\MyPC\Documents\" folder. Put driver files and runtime libraries in the "A:\MyPC\Install\" folder. For all three, feel free... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Hidden dependencies in Linux binaries.
    On windows, this is Dependency Walker versus ProcExp. Similar eye-goggling results. https://www.dependencywalker.com/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/process-explorer. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

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  • Show HN: Appstat – Process Monitor for Windows
    For advanced end users? Why would they ditch: https://systeminformer.sourceforge.io/ ? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • System Informer
    System Informer is a versatile system management tool designed to seamlessly monitor and analyze system resources, troubleshoot software issues, and identify potential malware threats. Offers system activity overviews, intuitive graphs,... Source: about 3 years ago
  • Today I learned you can pause the Windows Task Manager moving apps around
    Or Process Hacker (https://processhacker.sourceforge.io/) which IMO is even better. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago

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Alternatives to Process Explorer and Process Hacker

When comparing Process Explorer and Process Hacker, you can also consider the following products.