Side by side
Argus Disk vs HDD Health Monitor
Both stand on disk health monitoring software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
Argus Disk combines historical SMART monitoring, threshold forecasts, and optional alerts or dashboard metrics. Its listed system requirements make it a fit for Linux homelab setups rather than other platforms.
Visit Argus Disk
Free plan Windows
HDD Health Monitor brings drive health indicators, alerts, and retained history into a standalone Windows utility. Its ability to read S.M.A.R.T. data depends on drive and controller support, and it requires administrator privileges.
Visit HDD Health MonitorThe facts
| Argus Disk | HDD Health Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted | Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | hddmonitor.github.io |
| On disk health monitoring software | #6 of 28 | #13 of 28 |
Argus Disk: what it does well
- Keeps a rolling 180-day SMART history
- Forecasts critical thresholds using linear regression
- Optional ntfy alerts and Prometheus metrics
- MIT License permits use, modification, and distribution
What to know first
- Requires Linux, Python 3.10+, and smartmontools
- ntfy and Prometheus with Grafana are optional integrations
HDD Health Monitor: what it does well
- Monitors multiple physical drives automatically.
- Records selected health data every five seconds while running.
- Provides several drive-health and failure alerts.
- Runs without an installer or dependencies.
- Free, MIT-licensed, and requires no registration.
What to know first
- Administrator privileges are needed to read S.M.A.R.T. data.
- USB bridge support can prevent S.M.A.R.T. access.
- S.M.A.R.T. data usually cannot be read from unofficial flash drives, memory cards, or eMMC products.
- Some Windows antivirus products may incorrectly flag it as malware.
Alternatives to Argus Disk Alternatives to HDD Health Monitor The whole list