btop
Ranked in Process Monitoring Software·Free plan
About
btop is a free resource monitor for Linux and macOS that displays processor, memory, disk, network, and process activity. Its game-inspired menus and mouse support provide navigation alongside a responsive interface. Process tools let users inspect detailed statistics, filter or sort processes, view them as a tree, send signals, and pause the list. Network graphs scale automatically; other views cover disk input/output activity and speeds, plus battery status. Users can select graph symbols, create presets, and apply themes shared with bpytop and bashtop or stored in a custom themes directory. GPU monitoring is available on Linux and macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs when built with GPU support. NVIDIA and AMD monitoring require their respective libraries, while Intel monitoring requires SYSFS read permission. Installation guidance covers Linux and macOS, FreeBSD and NetBSD packages, and Homebrew for macOS and Linux. The project recommends a truecolor-capable terminal, UTF8 locale, wide-character support, and a suitable font. The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license; its README says Windows was not in the project plans at the time of that entry.
Who it is for
btop suits users who want process and system activity in a terminal on Linux or macOS. GPU monitoring users should check the build and vendor-specific requirements.
What is good
- Free resource monitor under Apache-2.0
- Detailed process inspection and controls
- Custom presets and themes
- Installation guidance includes Homebrew
What to know first
- Windows was not in project plans per README
- GPU monitoring requires support in the build
- Vendor-specific GPU libraries or permissions are required
Verdict
btop covers core system and process monitoring with extensive process controls and customizable displays. Check the operating system, terminal setup, and GPU prerequisites before relying on its GPU views.
Compared on process monitoring software
- Free plan
- Yesgithub.com
- Supported platforms
- Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSDgithub.com
- Process controls
- Yesgithub.com
Facts
- Purpose
- btop monitors processor, memory, disk, network, and process usage and stats.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Interface
- It has a game inspired menu system, mouse support, and a fast, responsive interface.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Process tools
- Users can inspect detailed process stats, filter and sort processes, view them as a tree, send signals, and pause the process list.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Other features
- It includes auto scaling network graphs, disk IO activity and speeds, a battery meter, selectable graph symbols, and custom presets.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Themes
- btop uses theme files shared with bpytop and bashtop and supports a custom themes directory.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- GPU monitoring
- GPU monitoring is supported on Linux and macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs, and requires a binary built with GPU support.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- GPU requirements
- NVIDIA monitoring requires the nvidia-ml library, AMD monitoring requires rocm_smi_lib, and Intel monitoring requires SYSFS read permission.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The project documents Linux and macOS installation, plus FreeBSD and NetBSD package installation; it also lists Homebrew for macOS and Linux.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Terminal requirements
- The project recommends a terminal with 24-bit truecolor and wide character support, a UTF8 locale, and a font with specified Unicode blocks.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maintainer invites bug reports through GitHub Issues and lists GitHub Sponsors, PayPal, and Ko-fi as support options.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- The README says Windows support was not in the project plans at the time of that entry.github.com · 8 Oct 2026
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Where it ranks on Inferse
Sources
- github.com/aristocratos/btop· checked 8 Oct 2026