Bonnie++
Bonnie++ is a free, command-line benchmark suite for measuring filesystem and disk I/O performance on Linux.
What Bonnie++ is
Bonnie++ is a free, command-line benchmark suite for measuring filesystem and disk I/O performance on Linux. Its tests cover sequential input and output, rewrites, random seeks, and operations on many small files, including creation, stat, and deletion. The suite can examine storage larger than 2 GB on a 32-bit machine. Its -D option enables direct I/O for bulk tests, while -b calls fsync after each write and syncs the directory after file creation or deletion. Semaphore support can coordinate multiple Bonnie++ instances. Results can be produced as plain text or CSV; companion tools convert CSV output to HTML or formatted text. The project is licensed under GPL version 2.0, and its repository includes source code plus Debian, RPM, and Sun-related packaging files. Its documented workloads are intended to help examine I/O bottlenecks in I/O-intensive applications, including database work, and simulate file activity associated with Squid or INN. Documentation warns against running it on live production machines because it can affect services and consume disk space or inodes.
Good
- Tests sequential I/O, rewrites, and random seeks.
- Includes small-file creation, stat, and deletion tests.
- Can test over 2 GB on 32-bit machines.
- Outputs plain text or CSV results.
- Licensed under GPL version 2.0.
Watch out
- Linux command-line software only.
- Documentation warns against production use.
- Runs can consume disk space or inodes.
Who it suits
Bonnie++ suits Linux users who need to examine filesystem or disk I/O patterns, including bottlenecks in I/O-intensive applications. It is not intended for live production machines.
Verdict
Bonnie++ provides a broad set of filesystem and disk I/O workloads with several output options. Its production warning is important: benchmark runs can affect services and use disk space or inodes.
Plans and prices
From Bonnie++'s own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Bonnie++ | Free | GPL version 2.0 · no paid plans stated |
The facts
Each one read from Bonnie++'s own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Author
- The manual credits Russell Coker as the writer of the program and manual page, with parts based on Tim Bray's work.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Availability
- The repository contains source code, Debian and RPM packaging files, and Sun-related files.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Direct I/O
- The -D option enables direct I/O for bulk I/O tests.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Distribution files
- The repository includes Debian, RPM, and Sun packaging directories.checked 8 Oct 2026
- File operations
- It tests file creation, stat, and unlink operations as well as sequential and random I/O.checked 8 Oct 2026
- File tests
- It tests creation, stat, and deletion of many small files.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended use
- The documentation describes its tests as useful for examining I/O bottlenecks in I/O-intensive applications, including database work.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation describes tests that simulate I/O patterns in database applications and file activity similar to Squid or INN.checked 8 Oct 2026
- I/O tests
- It tests sequential input and output, rewrites, and random seeks.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Large storage
- It adds support for testing more than 2 GB of storage on a 32-bit machine.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The project documentation states that Bonnie++ is licensed under GPL version 2.0.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Maintainer attribution
- The copyright notice credits Russell Coker with updating the program and adding large-storage and file-creation tests.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Operational caution
- The documentation warns that running Bonnie++ on live servers can consume disk space or inodes and advises against running it on production machines.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Output formats
- Bonnie++ provides plain-text and CSV output, with included tools to convert CSV to HTML or formatted text.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Production warning
- The documentation warns against running Bonnie++ on live production machines because it can severely affect services and consume disk space or inodes.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Bonnie++ is a benchmark suite for measuring filesystem and disk I/O performance.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Results
- It can output results in CSV format, and companion tools convert CSV data to HTML or formatted plain text.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Synchronized runs
- Semaphore support lets multiple Bonnie++ instances run in synchronization.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Write behavior
- The -b option disables write buffering by calling fsync after each write.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Write syncing
- The -b option calls fsync after each write and syncs the directory after file creation or deletion.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
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