Side by side

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor vs SSD Fan Control

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.

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5

PRTG combines on-premises infrastructure monitoring with alerts, reports, dashboards, and an API. Check sensor needs and the single-license-per-server limit when choosing a plan.

Visit Paessler PRTG Network Monitor

SSD Fan Control offers focused fan management for affected iMac hardware, including manual and SMART modes. Its free availability is useful, but the listed release is old and installation requires a reboot.

Visit SSD Fan Control

The facts

	Paessler PRTG Network Monitor	SSD Fan Control
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows	Mac
Lowest paid plan	PRTG 500: $200 a year	Free or on request
Plans published	6	2
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	paessler.com	exirion.net
On hardware monitoring software	#29 of 59	#51 of 59

Paessler PRTG Network Monitor: what it does well

More than 250 preconfigured sensors
Customizable alerts and scheduled reports
API for monitoring data and custom features
Free iOS and Android monitoring apps

What to know first

Mobile apps do not support cluster setups
License sizes cannot be combined on one server
Paid plans start at $200/mo billed annually

SSD Fan Control: what it does well

Manual fan-speed control overrides automatic behavior
SMART mode uses temperature information
Background daemon resumes after SMC resets
Includes monitoring and control application
Free to download and use

What to know first

Latest listed version dates from October 31st 2013
Installation reboots the iMac
Compatibility is stated for macOS 10.13 High Sierra
An operating-system upgrade may require reset or reinstall

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