GNU gprof

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.3

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely1 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

GNU gprof is ranked #12 of 29 in profiling software on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, Self-hosted. There is a free plan.

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GNU gprof Free GNU Binutils command-line profiler sourceware.org · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on profiling software

Profiling modes: both
Supported languages: C, C++
CPU profiling: Yes
Deployment model: desktop

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The record

Purpose: GNU gprof analyzes profiling data to show which parts of a program take the most execution time.
Outputs: It can print a flat profile and call graph, and provide annotated source output.
Build requirement: Programs must be compiled and linked with profiling enabled, typically using the compiler option -pg.
Data collection: The profiled program writes its data to gmon.out when it exits normally.
Combine profiles: gprof can sum statistics from multiple profile data files.
Sampling limits: Its time measurements do not account for time when a program is not running, such as time limited by I/O or swapping.
Instrumentation overhead: Profiling adds overhead to function calls, which the manual says can create artificial hot spots.
Line profiling: The -l line profiling feature works only with programs compiled by older GCC versions; newer GCC versions use gcov for line-by-line information.
Alternative in suite: The manual describes gprofng as a more modern profiler in Binutils that can read gmon files and provides more functionality.
Platforms: The Binutils project says its tools have been ported to most major Unix variants and Wintel systems.
Download: GNU Binutils releases are available from ftp.gnu.org and sourceware.org.
Support channels: The project lists Bugzilla for bug reports and mailing lists for bug reporting and discussion.
License: The gprof manual is distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License version 1.3.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Profiling Software in 2026#12 of 29

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Sources

sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Introduction.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Compiling.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Executing.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Invoking.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Implementation.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/How-do-I_003f.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/docs/gprof/Line_002dby_002dlin· checked 4 Oct 2026
sourceware.org/binutils/· checked 4 Oct 2026