Side by side
htop vs inxi
Both stand on system information software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMac
htop provides a terminal-based way to view processes, with controls for I/O priority and CPU affinity. Keep in mind that it does not report SWAP use per process.
Visit htop Free plan Linux
inxi provides broad system reporting for GNU/Linux, with command-line and IRC use. Its reporting depth depends partly on installed programs and permissions.
Visit inxiThe facts
| htop | inxi | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac | Linux |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | htop.dev | smxi.org |
| On system information software | #11 of 34 | #15 of 34 |
htop: what it does well
- Free, with source code and distribution binaries.
- Supports Linux, BSD systems, macOS, and Solaris.
- Offers Unicode graphs and a tree view.
- Can configure I/O priority and CPU affinity.
- Customizable header meters and terminal color themes.
What to know first
- Requires ncurses and a text-mode terminal.
- No per-process SWAP column is provided.
inxi: what it does well
- Free under GPL 3 or later.
- Reports hardware, system, and process details.
- Supports screen, JSON, and XML output.
- Filtering removes identifying details.
What to know first
- Requires Perl 5.008 or newer, lspci, and ps.
- Detailed reports may need optional programs.
- Some features require root or sudo configuration.