Side by side

michka vs Sidebar Diagnostics

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.

michka

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb+1

Michka offers local, offline monitoring with a multi-machine setup and customizable dashboard. Windows users should note the stated limitation on CPU temperature readings.

Visit michka

Sidebar Diagnostics provides a customizable desktop view of several hardware metrics on listed Windows versions. It is free, but requires administrator privileges and does not support remote monitoring.

Visit Sidebar Diagnostics

The facts

	michka	Sidebar Diagnostics
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	michka.org	github.com
On hardware monitoring software	#15 of 59	#49 of 59

michka: what it does well

Displays live hardware metrics and service status.
Collects metrics from multiple machines.
Stores history in a local SQLite file.
Works offline without a cloud account or telemetry.
Templates and widgets allow dashboard customization.

What to know first

Windows hardware often lacks reliable CPU temperature readings.
The hub and agents run on Linux or Windows only.
The dashboard requires a modern browser.

Sidebar Diagnostics: what it does well

Monitors CPU, RAM, GPU, network, and logical drives.
Can graph metrics and show a clock.
Supports alerts, hotkeys, and different DPI settings.
Available free under GPL-3.0.

What to know first

Must be run as administrator.
Standalone ZIP does not auto-update.
Remote monitoring is not supported.

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