smartmontools

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Score7.0

Rank#11 of 58

PriceFree

Free planYes

Runs onLinux, macOS, Windows

Summary

smartmontools is a free package containing smartctl and smartd for controlling and monitoring storage devices through SMART. It supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe disks, along with SCSI/SAS tape devices. smartctl can report a device's SMART health status, show its capabilities and vendor-specific attributes, start self-tests, and display their logs. A failing status can indicate that a device has failed or is expected to fail within 24 hours. smartd periodically checks SMART status, error and self-test logs, and attribute changes; it can schedule tests and send warning emails or run warning commands. The package is intended for modern Linux, BSD variants, macOS, Solaris, Windows, Cygwin, OS/2, eComStation, and QNX systems, and can also run from various Live CDs and DVDs. Its license is GNU GPL Version 2. The project says the package was originally derived from Linux smartsuite. Its functions center on SMART reporting, testing, and monitoring, including warnings about potential disk degradation and failure.

Who it is for

smartmontools suits users who want to inspect SMART health and run storage self-tests. It also fits administrators who want recurring monitoring and warning notifications.

What is good

Supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe disks.
Reports health status and vendor-specific attributes.
Can start self-tests and read their logs.
smartd can schedule tests and send warnings.
Runs on a range of operating systems.

What to know first

Its listed functions focus on SMART monitoring and tests.
A failing status may indicate imminent device failure.

Verdict

smartmontools offers both on-demand SMART inspection and recurring monitoring through its two utilities. Its scope is specifically storage health, logs, attributes, and self-tests.

smartmontools plans and pricing

All plans

Smartmontools Free GNU GPL Version 2 · smartctl and smartd utilities github.com · 1 Oct 2026

Compared on hardware monitoring software

Free plan: Yessmartmontools.org

Facts

Free plan: Yessmartmontools.org · 23 Sept 2026
Supported platforms: Darwin (Mac OS X),Linux,FreeBSD,NetBSD,OpenBSD,Solaris,OS/2,Cygwin,QNX,eComStation,Windowssmartmontools.org · 23 Sept 2026
Purpose: The package contains smartctl and smartd utilities for controlling and monitoring storage systems through SMART.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Failure warning: The utilities can provide advanced warning of disk degradation and failure.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Device support: It supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS and NVMe disks, plus SCSI/SAS tape devices.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Operating systems: It should run on modern Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Solaris, Windows, Cygwin, OS/2, eComStation and QNX systems.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Live media: It can run from various Live CDs and DVDs.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Origin: Smartmontools was originally derived from the Linux smartsuite package.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Health checks: smartctl can print a device's SMART health status, and a failing status can mean the device has failed or predicts failure within 24 hours.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Capabilities: smartctl can show SMART capabilities, including error logging, offline surface scanning and estimated self-test duration.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Attributes: smartctl can display vendor-specific SMART attributes with raw and normalized values.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Self-tests: smartctl can start short, long and other device self-tests and read the resulting self-test log.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Daemon monitoring: smartd can monitor SMART health, error logs, self-test logs and attribute changes, schedule tests and send warning email.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
License: Smartmontools uses the GNU GPL Version 2 license.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Code signing: The program uses free code signing from SignPath.io and a free code-signing certificate from the SignPath Foundation.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Upstream status: The repository states that it became the official upstream repository on 2025-06-01.github.com · 30 Sept 2026
Purpose: Smartmontools provides utilities to control and monitor storage systems using S.M.A.R.T.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Utilities: The package contains the smartctl and smartd programs.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Failure warnings: The utilities can provide advanced warning of disk degradation and failure.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Device support: It supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, NVMe disks, and SCSI/SAS tape devices.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Operating systems: It should run on Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, macOS, Solaris, Windows, Cygwin, OS/2, eComStation, and QNX.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Live media: Smartmontools can run from various Live CDs and DVDs.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Monitoring daemon: smartd periodically monitors S.M.A.R.T. status and reports errors and attribute changes to syslog.smartmontools.org · 1 Oct 2026
Notifications: smartd supports email warning addresses and executable warning commands.smartmontools.org · 1 Oct 2026
Scheduled tests: smartd.conf supports scheduled self-tests and monitoring of health, logs, attributes, sectors, and temperature.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Security: The project uses free code signing from SignPath.io and a free certificate from the SignPath Foundation.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
License: Smartmontools is licensed under the GNU GPL Version 2.github.com · 1 Oct 2026
Origin: Smartmontools was originally derived from the Linux smartsuite package.github.com · 1 Oct 2026