Best Hardware Diagnostic Software in 2026
Updated
In short: MemTest86 is ranked #1 of 25 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of smartmontools and stress-ng. The best-ranked option with a free plan is smartmontools. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Eurosoft Pc-Check at $8.75/mo.
Hardware diagnostic software helps you examine computer components and review the kinds of tests and results each tool supports. Compare disk health checks, memory testing and GPU testing, along with stress testing, to understand the scope of diagnostics listed. Bootable diagnostic media and platform support provide additional ways to distinguish the options, while diagnostic reports may be useful when reviewing findings. MemTest86, smartmontools and stress-ng are among the entries shown. Free-plan availability and “Paid from” pricing round out the comparison as you consider which capabilities match your troubleshooting needs.
25 hardware diagnostic software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
13 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MemTest86Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | smartmontoolsWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | stress-ngWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | Hard Disk SentinelWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | MemTest86+Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 6 | PC-Doctor ToolboxWeb · Windows | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 7 | Blackwire Drive Eraser & SanitizerWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | HDAT2Windows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | Intel VTune ProfilerWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | PistonAndroid | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | Ultimate Boot CDWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | FurMarkWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 13 | HP PC Hardware DiagnosticsWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 14 | Prime95Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 5.3 | |
| 15 | CrystalDiskMarkWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | GSmartControlWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | MemTest64Windows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | 3DP ChipWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | Eurosoft Pc-CheckWindows · Linux · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $8.75/mo | 5.1 |
| 20 | HardInfo2Linux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | SpeccyWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | BatteryMonWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $21/mo | 5.0 |
| 23 | HD Tune ProWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $29.95/mo | 5.0 |
| 24 | HDDScanWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 25 | Karhu RAM TestWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Platform support | Stress testing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MemTest86 | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | — |
| 2 | smartmontools | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | stress-ng | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 4 | Hard Disk Sentinel | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | MemTest86+ | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 6 | PC-Doctor Toolbox | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | windows | Yes |
| 7 | Blackwire Drive Eraser & Sanitizer | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 8 | HDAT2 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Intel VTune Profiler | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Piston | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 11 | Ultimate Boot CD | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 12 | FurMark | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | windows | Yes |
| 13 | HP PC Hardware Diagnostics | 5.5 | No | — | Yes | — | windows | Yes |
| 14 | Prime95 | 5.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 15 | CrystalDiskMark | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 16 | GSmartControl | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | MemTest64 | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | windows | Yes |
| 18 | 3DP Chip | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 19 | Eurosoft Pc-Check | 5.1 | No | $8.75/mo | No | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 20 | HardInfo2 | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Speccy | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 22 | BatteryMon | 5.0 | No | $21/mo | No | — | multi-platform | Yes |
| 23 | HD Tune Pro | 5.0 | No | $29.95/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 24 | HDDScan | 5.0 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | Karhu RAM Test | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | windows | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which hardware diagnostic software is ranked first on Freedom251?
MemTest86 is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.6. smartmontools is second and stress-ng third.
How many of these have a free plan?
13 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Eurosoft Pc-Check has the lowest first paid tier we found: $8.75/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.