btop
btop is a free resource monitor for Linux and macOS that displays processor, memory, disk, network, and process activity.
What btop is
btop is a free resource monitor for Linux and macOS that displays processor, memory, disk, network, and process activity. Its game-inspired menus, mouse support, and responsive interface provide access to system views and process controls. Users can inspect process details, filter and sort processes, view them as a tree, send signals, or pause the list. Network graphs scale automatically, and the display includes disk activity and speeds plus a battery meter. Graph symbols are selectable, and custom presets are supported. Theme files can be shared with bpytop and bashtop, with a separate directory available for custom themes. GPU monitoring is supported on Linux and on macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs when btop is built with GPU support. NVIDIA monitoring requires nvidia-ml, AMD monitoring requires rocm_smi_lib, and Intel monitoring requires SYSFS read permission. The project documents installation for Linux and macOS, package installation for FreeBSD and NetBSD, and Homebrew for macOS and Linux. It recommends a terminal with 24-bit truecolor and wide-character support, a UTF8 locale, and a font covering specified Unicode blocks. The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license.
Good
- Monitors processor, memory, disk, network, and processes.
- Process list can be filtered, sorted, and viewed as a tree.
- Includes disk activity, network graphs, and a battery meter.
- Free under the Apache-2.0 license.
Watch out
- Windows support was not in the project plans.
- GPU monitoring requires supported builds and dependencies.
- Recommended terminal setup includes truecolor and Unicode support.
Who it suits
btop suits Linux and macOS users who want a terminal-based view of system and process activity. GPU monitoring can suit users whose hardware and build meet the listed requirements.
Verdict
btop provides system monitoring alongside process inspection and controls, with no price for the software. Check the platform, terminal, and GPU requirements if those features matter to your setup.
Plans and prices
From btop's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| btop | Free | Resource monitor; Apache-2.0 license |
The facts
Each one read from btop's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- GPU monitoring
- GPU monitoring is supported on Linux and macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs, and requires a binary built with GPU support.checked 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.checked 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.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Interface
- It has a game inspired menu system, mouse support, and a fast, responsive interface.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- The README says Windows support was not in the project plans at the time of that entry.checked 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.checked 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.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- btop monitors processor, memory, disk, network, and process usage and stats.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maintainer invites bug reports through GitHub Issues and lists GitHub Sponsors, PayPal, and Ko-fi as support options.checked 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.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Themes
- btop uses theme files shared with bpytop and bashtop and supports a custom themes directory.checked 8 Oct 2026
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