Side by side
HDD Health Monitor vs HDDScan
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 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 Monitor
Free plan Windows
HDDScan combines drive tests, SMART analysis and temperature monitoring in a free Windows utility. Check device support and the surface-test limits for RAID and USB flash drives before relying on it; Erase mode permanently overwrites tested blocks.
Visit HDDScanThe facts
| HDD Health Monitor | HDDScan | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Windows | Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | hddmonitor.github.io | hddscan.com |
| On disk health monitoring software | #13 of 28 | #15 of 28 |
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.
HDDScan: what it does well
- Free plan costs nothing.
- Offers several drive tests, including Butterfly reading.
- Reads SMART parameters and can run SMART tests.
- Saves reports as MHT files or prints them.
- Supports command-line use and saved .cmd or .bat commands.
What to know first
- Only one test should run at a time.
- RAID and USB flash drives get surface tests only.
- Erase mode makes previous data unrecoverable.
- Windows Server 2003 support has restrictions.
Alternatives to HDD Health Monitor Alternatives to HDDScan The whole list