Best Process Monitoring Software in 2026
Updated
When you need visibility into running processes, compare what each tool can monitor and what actions it lets you take. Process alerting, process controls, remote monitoring, and service monitoring show the scope of oversight; activity logs and history retention help you assess what records are available. Supported platforms matter for fit, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Glances, PM2, and bottom (btm) are among the named options, alongside tools such as Process Lasso and runit. Consider whether you need local or remote visibility, service-level monitoring, or controls for responding to issues, then weigh those needs against the listed platform and plan details.
20 of 20 with known pricing have a free tier;0 apps show full bars: free, open, on most devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GlancesWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | ||
| 2 | PM2Web · Windows · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | 4 of 6 | $79/mo | 6.6 | ||
| 3 | bottom (btm)Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | ||
| 4 | btopMac · Linux | Two bars | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | ||
| 5 | htopMac · Linux | Two bars | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | ||
| 6 | MonitMac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | ||
| 7 | OpenProcMonWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | ||
| 8 | Process LassoWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | $2.08/mo | 6.4 | ||
| 9 | runitMac · Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | ||
| 10 | Ambih MonitorWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.3 | ||
| 11 | AppControlWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 12 | atopLinux | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 13 | AutorunsWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 14 | iotopLinux | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 15 | ManageEngine Free Process ManagerWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 16 | nmonLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 17 | NVTOPLinux · Self-hosted | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 18 | Remote Process ExplorerWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 19 | s6Linux · Self-hosted | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 20 | System InformerWindows | Two bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | ||
| 21 | SupervisorWeb · Mac · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | 3 of 6 | 5.6 | |||
| 22 | OwletteWeb · Windows · Self-hosted · API | One bar | 2 of 6 | $20/mo | 5.5 | ||
| 23 | TaskExplorerWindows · Linux | One bar | 2 of 6 | €5/mo | 5.5 | ||
| 24 | rprocLinux | One bar | 1 of 6 | 5.4 | |||
| 25 | winproc-tuiWindows | One bar | 1 of 6 | 5.4 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Remote monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glances | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 2 | PM2 | 6.6 | Free plan | $79/mo | Yes | Linux, macOS, Windows, web dashboard | Yes | |
| 3 | bottom (btm) | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux, macOS, Windows | ||
| 4 | btop | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD | ||
| 5 | htop | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 6 | Monit | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 7 | OpenProcMon | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows | ||
| 8 | Process Lasso | 6.4 | Free plan | $2.08/mo | Yes | 4.95 /mo | Windows 7, 8, 10, 11; Windows Server 2012-2025 | |
| 9 | runit | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | GNU/Linux, *BSD, MacOSX, Solaris, other adaptable Unix systems | ||
| 10 | Ambih Monitor | 6.3 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | 5.42 /mo | Windows | No |
| 11 | AppControl | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows | ||
| 12 | atop | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | linux | ||
| 13 | Autoruns | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 14 | iotop | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux | No | |
| 15 | ManageEngine Free Process Manager | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows | Yes | |
| 16 | nmon | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux on POWER, x86, x86_64, mainframe, and ARM | ||
| 17 | NVTOP | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | linux, macos, windows | ||
| 18 | Remote Process Explorer | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, Windows 11, Windows Server 2025 | Yes | |
| 19 | s6 | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | POSIX-compliant systems | |||
| 20 | System Informer | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows | No | |
| 21 | Supervisor | 5.6 | Yes | Linux, macOS, self-hosted Unix-like systems, web interface, XML-RPC API | Yes | |||
| 22 | Owlette | 5.5 | $20/mo | No | 20 /mo | Windows | Yes | |
| 23 | TaskExplorer | 5.5 | €5/mo | Windows, Linux | ||||
| 24 | rproc | 5.4 | Linux (X11 or Wayland) | |||||
| 25 | winproc-tui | 5.4 | Windows 11 x64 | No |
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Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.