Side by side
SMART Utility vs DriveDx
Both stand on disk health monitoring software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free trial Mac
SMART Utility provides detailed SMART monitoring, alerts, self-tests, and reporting on macOS. External-drive compatibility varies, and its warning algorithm can occasionally report a false positive.
Visit SMART Utility
Free trial Mac
Choose DriveDx if you use macOS and want local drive health checks, self-tests, and alerts for drive or free-space issues. Personal, household, and commercial licenses cover different computer counts and use cases. Look elsewhere if you need remote monitoring or support outside the stated macOS range.
Visit DriveDxThe facts
| SMART Utility | DriveDx | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | A free trial | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Lowest paid plan | Personal license: $25, paid once | DriveDx – Personal License: $19.99, paid once |
| Plans published | 5 | 10 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | volitans-software.com | binaryfruit.com |
| On disk health monitoring software | #26 of 28 | #22 of 28 |
SMART Utility: what it does well
- Reads HDD and SSD SMART attributes
- Runs built-in drive self-tests
- Background scanning and menu-bar information
- Supports reports, logging, and printing
- Failure-warning algorithm checks early signs
What to know first
- External-drive support is limited
- Some drives require the optional SAT SMART driver
- False positives can occur
- macOS only
DriveDx: what it does well
- Checks SSD wear, I/O errors, pending sectors, and reallocated bad sectors.
- Runs background monitoring and alerts when it detects an issue.
- Users can control drive self-tests.
- Calculates drive health, performance, and SSD lifetime-left indicators.
- Email reports can be configured by criteria.
What to know first
- There is no free plan.
- It supports macOS only.
- The stated compatibility range is macOS 10.9 through macOS 26.
- Remote monitoring is not offered.
Alternatives to SMART Utility Alternatives to DriveDx The whole list