Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Process Monitor VS Bashtop

Compare Process Monitor VS Bashtop and see what are their differences

Process Monitor logo Process Monitor

Monitor file system, Registry, process, thread and DLL activity in real-time.

Bashtop logo Bashtop

Linux/OSX/FreeBSD resource monitor
  • Process Monitor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Bashtop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-09

Process Monitor features and specs

  • Comprehensive Monitoring
    Process Monitor provides detailed real-time data on process, file system, registry, and network activity. This allows for in-depth analysis and troubleshooting.
  • Advanced Filtering
    Users can apply complex filters to focus on specific events or processes, which helps in pinpointing issues more efficiently.
  • Event Highlighting
    The tool supports highlighting rules that can be used to visually differentiate events of interest, making it easier to identify key activities.
  • Boot Time Logging
    It can be configured to record events during the boot process, which is invaluable for diagnosing startup issues.
  • Integration with other Sysinternals Tools
    Seamless integration with other Sysinternals tools allows for a more comprehensive diagnostic toolkit.

Possible disadvantages of Process Monitor

  • Resource Intensive
    Process Monitor can consume significant system resources, especially when monitoring extensive activities, which might affect system performance.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its wide range of features and the detailed information it provides, new users might find it challenging to navigate and use effectively.
  • Overwhelming Data
    The volume of data generated can be overwhelming, making it difficult to isolate relevant information without proper filtering.
  • No Native Support for Non-Windows Systems
    As a tool originally designed for Windows, it does not support non-Windows operating systems natively.
  • Potential for Information Overload
    The granular level of detail provided can lead to information overload, particularly for users unfamiliar with interpreting the data.

Bashtop features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Bashtop features an intuitive and visually appealing user interface that makes it easy to monitor system resources like CPU, memory, and processes in real-time.
  • Feature-Rich
    The tool offers a wide range of functionalities including process management, detailed stats on system performance, and customizable options, making it versatile for various needs.
  • Ease of Installation
    Installing Bashtop is straightforward on most Linux distributions, as well as macOS and even Windows via WSL, with clear instructions provided in the documentation.
  • Low Resource Usage
    Despite its graphical interface, Bashtop is relatively lightweight and does not consume a significant amount of system resources, which is ideal for maintaining system performance while monitoring.

Possible disadvantages of Bashtop

  • Bash Dependency
    Being a bash script, Bashtop requires GNU Bash shell to run, which might not be as efficient as applications written in compiled languages for high-performance monitoring tasks.
  • Compatibility Limitations
    While Bashtop runs on various systems, there are occasional compatibility issues or platform-specific bugs that can affect its performance or usability.
  • No Longer Maintained
    Development of Bashtop has been discontinued in favor of Bpytop, a Python-based version, which means users may not receive updates or support for newer systems and bugs.
  • Terminal Based
    Since it runs in the terminal, users who prefer or require graphical user interfaces for system monitoring might find Bashtop less convenient compared to other available GUI-based system monitors.

Analysis of Process Monitor

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Process Monitor is a highly effective tool for those needing deep system-level diagnostics. Its robust feature set and real-time monitoring capabilities make it indispensable for complex troubleshooting tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Process Monitor is widely regarded as a valuable tool for system administrators and developers due to its ability to provide detailed insights into file system, registry, and process/thread activity in real-time. It helps in diagnosing system problems and comprehensively troubleshooting issues. Its ability to filter output and capture intricate details makes it powerful for advanced users who need to understand interactions within the Windows OS.

Recommended for

  • System Administrators
  • Software Developers
  • IT Support Specialists
  • Security Analysts
  • Anyone needing to diagnose complex system or software-level issues on Windows.

Analysis of Bashtop

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Bashtop is considered good by many users due to its comprehensive feature set and ease of use. It offers detailed information and a clean interface, enhancing the user experience significantly. It receives positive feedback for its performance and adaptability.

Why this product is good

  • Bashtop is a resource monitor that provides a visually appealing interface and real-time insights into system performance. It is user-friendly, highly customizable, and supports multiple platforms, making it a popular choice for users who want to monitor CPU, memory, disk usage, and network activities closely. Bashtop also allows for a quick glance at running processes, making it accessible for users who appreciate efficiency and an intuitive layout.

Recommended for

    Bashtop is recommended for system administrators, developers, and tech-savvy users who need to monitor system performance regularly. It's also suitable for users who appreciate visually engaging terminal applications and those accustomed to working with command-line tools.

Process Monitor videos

Process Monitor, powerful tool to troubleshoot applications and Windows.

More videos:

  • Review - Process Monitor: Basic Operation
  • Review - Malware Analysis - Tools - Process Monitor Basic

Bashtop videos

Bashtop Is An Htop Alternative Written In Bash

More videos:

  • Review - Top Guides - Bashtop Themeable CLI System Monitor

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Process Monitor and Bashtop)
Monitoring Tools
79 79%
21% 21
Command Line Tools
78 78%
22% 22
Performance Monitoring
79 79%
21% 21
OS & Utilities
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Process Monitor should be more popular than Bashtop. It has been mentiond 184 times 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.

Process Monitor mentions (184)

  • TaskExplorer
    Don't agree. It's just as complex (may be a bit more) as ProcessMonitor by Sysinternals https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Why did Windows 95 setup use three operating systems?
    Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon Windows does a tonne of things in the background, yes. If I run that and let it monitor everything, things will happen even if I do nothing. It is an OS and complex. >It is shown instantly, fully rendered, in the next video frame. There is no delay THIS is true and also crazy to me. I forgot how fast XP was. Especially on modern hardware. I... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • DLLs in Rust🦀
    To be sure that our exe is actually looking for the DLL, fire up the SysInternals' Process Monitor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • can't get PTAT to run on RPL-U i7-1365URE eval board
    Don't know what PTAT stands for, but whenever I have issues with windows software running properly I pull out Process Monitor to log what that program was doing at the time of the error message. Sometimes there is a clue such as not being able to find a particular file, or registry key, or something else crashing etc. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Software developer looking to experiment with SCCM
    This might be a bit advanced but if it was me I would probably get frustrated and use SysInternals specifically procmon Https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/procmon. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Bashtop mentions (22)

  • BPYTOP - a fun HTOP alternative :-)
    Check out btop. It’s a rewrite of bpytop in C++. Both are from the same author. FYI, bpytop is also a rewrite of bashtop in python. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Btop looks great
    As far as I remember, the guy made first the bashtop, that was slow as molasses but looks cool. Then he made bpytop that is the same idea but ported to python, and then finally ported to C++ and we got just btop. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Share your greatest free tools
    Bashtop - Seriously, I my brain can't follow columns without some kind of order to the madness. Ty bashtop. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How to return current and average cpu utilization, maybe the top process name too?
    There is https://github.com/aristocratos/bashtop with prettier and more readable output compared to top, in my opinion. It also has a port on python and c++. Source: about 3 years ago
  • My fans go brrrrrr
    🤔 I've found that the data Vitals reports isn't always correct, not to mention it uses far to much system resource for what it does. Have you tried bashtop? Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Process Monitor and Bashtop, 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...

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 - psutil is a module providing an interface for retrieving information on all running processes and...

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