btop
What it is
btop is a free resource monitor for Linux and macOS that displays processor, memory, disk, network, and process activity. Its menu system is inspired by games, supports mouse input, and is designed for responsive navigation. Process views show detailed statistics and allow filtering, sorting, tree display, signal sending, and pausing the process list. Network graphs scale automatically, while other panels show disk input/output activity and speeds, battery status, selectable graph symbols, and custom presets. Theme files can be shared with bpytop and bashtop, and a separate custom themes directory is supported. GPU monitoring works on Linux and on macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs when the binary includes GPU support. NVIDIA monitoring needs nvidia-ml, AMD monitoring needs rocm_smi_lib, and Intel monitoring needs SYSFS read permission. Installation guidance covers Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and Homebrew. The project recommends a 24-bit truecolor terminal, wide-character support, a UTF8 locale, and a suitable Unicode font. btop uses the Apache-2.0 license.
For and against
For
- Free under the Apache-2.0 license
- Detailed process inspection and controls
- Automatic network graph scaling
- Custom presets and shared themes
- Linux and macOS GPU monitoring support
Against
- Windows support was not planned
- GPU monitoring needs platform-specific support or libraries
- Terminal requires suitable color, locale, and font support
The verdict
btop provides broad system and process visibility in a responsive terminal interface, with filtering, controls, graphs, themes, and presets. GPU features depend on build support and platform requirements, and Windows is outside the stated plans.
Who it suits
btop suits users who want detailed terminal-based monitoring on Linux or macOS, with process controls and customizable displays. It also supports several BSD installation paths, though Windows support was not planned in the cited project entry.
Plans and prices
btop
Resource monitor; Apache-2.0 license
Read 8 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- GPU monitoring
- GPU monitoring is supported on Linux and macOS with Apple Silicon GPUs, and requires a binary built with GPU support.github.com · read 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 · read 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 · read 8 Oct 2026
- Interface
- It has a game inspired menu system, mouse support, and a fast, responsive interface.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists the Apache-2.0 license.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
- Notable limit
- The README says Windows support was not in the project plans at the time of that entry.github.com · read 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 · read 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 · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- btop monitors processor, memory, disk, network, and process usage and stats.github.com · read 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 · read 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 · read 8 Oct 2026
- Themes
- btop uses theme files shared with bpytop and bashtop and supports a custom themes directory.github.com · read 8 Oct 2026
