Side by side
lm-sensors vs Prometheus Node Exporter
Both stand on hardware 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
lm-sensors provides several ways to expose Linux hardware readings, from command-line output to libraries and RRD feeds. Its usefulness depends on the monitoring chips and drivers available on the target system.
Visit lm-sensors Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Node Exporter provides configurable host metrics for Prometheus, with documented package, Ansible, and container deployment options. Check the operating-system coverage and container access requirements for your environment.
Visit Prometheus Node ExporterThe facts
| lm-sensors | Prometheus Node Exporter | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Self-hosted | API, Linux, Mac, 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 | github.com |
| On hardware monitoring software | #34 of 59 | #30 of 59 |
lm-sensors: what it does well
- Free Linux and self-hosted package
- Reports temperatures, fan speeds, and voltages
- Hardware detection recommends kernel modules
- sensord logs readings and problems
- Library supports application integration
What to know first
- No graphical monitoring interface
- No remote monitoring
- Requires compatible kernel drivers
- May not help some laptops
Prometheus Node Exporter: what it does well
- Default collectors cover CPU, disk, filesystem, memory, and network.
- Collectors can be enabled or disabled with command-line flags.
- Documentation covers packages, Ansible, and container deployment.
- Free software under the Apache 2 License.
What to know first
- Metric availability varies by operating system.
- Containerized host monitoring requires host namespace access and mounts.
- Some systems need an extra capability for the timex collector.
- The project recommends Windows Exporter for Windows users.
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