htop
What it is
htop is a free, interactive process viewer that runs in text mode in console or X terminals and requires ncurses. Current releases support Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFly BSD, macOS, and Solaris. Source code is available on GitHub, while distributions provide precompiled binaries; installation examples cover Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, and Arch Linux, and Homebrew includes htop for macOS. The terminal display offers Unicode Braille-character graphs and a Unicode tree view, with visual support for systems with large processor counts. Process controls include configuring I/O scheduling priority and CPU affinity. Users can choose color themes for dark or light terminals and customize header meters. The memory meter percentage represents memory used by processes; on Linux, available memory is also used for buffers and disk cache. htop does not show a per-process SWAP column because exact swap use, including shared pages, cannot be reliably determined. The project began in 2004, and users can subscribe to its mailing list for release information.
For and against
For
- Free source code and distribution binaries
- Interactive terminal process controls
- Unicode graphs and tree view
- Customizable themes and header meters
- Supports large processor counts
Against
- Requires a text terminal and ncurses
- No per-process SWAP column
- Current releases target listed Unix-like systems
The verdict
htop provides terminal process visibility, controls, graphs, and customization across several Unix-like systems. Its documented memory explanation and SWAP limitation clarify what the display can and cannot show.
Who it suits
It suits users who need terminal-based process monitoring and controls on Unix-like systems, including Linux and macOS.
Plans and prices
Free
Freely available; source code and distribution binaries
Read 8 Oct 2026 · htop.dev
On the record
- Customization
- The screenshots page says color themes are available for dark and light terminals and header meters are fully customizable.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Distribution
- htop is available freely as source code on GitHub and as pre-compiled binaries provided by distributions.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The download page gives package installation examples for Debian, Fedora, Gentoo, and Arch Linux, and says htop is included in Homebrew for macOS.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Large systems
- The screenshots page says htop has visual support for large processor counts and shows a 64-core machine.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Memory reporting
- The FAQ explains that the memory meter’s percentage represents memory used by processes, while additional available memory is used by the Linux kernel for buffers and disk cache.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Process controls
- The screenshots page identifies configuring I/O scheduling priority and CPU affinity as available features.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- htop is a cross-platform interactive process viewer that runs in text mode in console or X terminals and requires ncurses.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Release updates
- Users can subscribe to the htop mailing list to receive new-release information.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Support and contributions
- The home page links to the project bug tracker and says Hack Club, a US IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has hosted htop as its fiscal sponsor since March 2024.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The site lists Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFly BSD, macOS, and Solaris as supported by current releases.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Swap limitation
- The FAQ says htop does not provide a per-process SWAP column because it does not know a reliable way to determine exact swap use, including for shared pages.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
- Terminal display
- The screenshots page describes Unicode Braille-character graphs and a Unicode tree view.htop.dev · read 8 Oct 2026
