Side by side
Macs Fan Control vs SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
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.
Choose Macs Fan Control for Mac fan and sensor monitoring, with fan adjustment options on macOS and an automatic return to Auto when the app quits. Look elsewhere if you need Windows fan control outside the stated Boot Camp setup or want Pro without a one-time purchase.
Visit Macs Fan Control
SAM combines infrastructure and application monitoring with discovery, dependency mapping, templates, API polling, alerts, and reports. Its self-hosted model and component-monitor licensing make deployment and license planning important considerations.
Visit SolarWinds Server & Application MonitorThe facts
| Macs Fan Control | SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Maker | Macs Fan Control | Not published |
| Website | crystalidea.com | solarwinds.com |
| On hardware monitoring software | #35 of 58 | #57 of 58 |
Macs Fan Control: what it does well
- Monitors fan speeds and temperature sensors, including third-party drives through S.M.A.R.T.
- Works on Macs with Apple Silicon.
- Supports fixed-speed or temperature-sensor-based fan control on macOS.
- Restores fans to Auto when the app quits.
- Menu bar can show fan speed and sensor temperature.
What to know first
- Windows fan control is for Windows installed through Boot Camp on Intel-based Macs.
- Custom fan presets are included with Pro, not the listed Free plan.
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor: what it does well
- Monitors Windows, Linux, VMware, Azure, and AWS
- More than 250 application templates
- Automatic discovery and dependency mapping
- REST API metric polling
- Agentless monitoring support
What to know first
- No free plan
- Pricing starts at $2,900
- Self-hosted deployment
- License based on application component monitors
Alternatives to Macs Fan Control Alternatives to SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor The whole list