iotop
What it is
iotop is a Linux program that identifies processes using high amounts of input/output requests and lists them by I/O usage. It can display accumulated I/O or bandwidth, with optional columns for read, write, swap-in, and I/O percentage. Users can monitor selected process IDs or users, or show processes and threads across the machine. It supports interactive and batch modes, iteration counts, configurable delays, and timestamps in batch output. Command-line filters can narrow processes by TID or by command using a regular expression.
The project lists packages or installation instructions for Debian-derived distributions, Fedora, CentOS/RHEL, Void, Arch, and Alpine Linux. It also documents building from source with make after installing development dependencies. iotop is free under the GPL-2.0+ license, and the listed plan is free. Installing and using it requires root access. The releases page lists version 1.31 as the latest release and says its tag has a verified committer signature, though the signing key has expired. The project recommends filing pull requests on GitHub and points users to the #iotop channel on Libera.Chat.
For and against
For
- Displays accumulated I/O or bandwidth.
- Can monitor selected processes, users, or all processes and threads.
- Supports interactive and batch output.
- Free under the GPL-2.0+ license.
Against
- Installing and using it requires root access.
- It is listed for Linux only.
- The version 1.31 signing key has expired.
The verdict
iotop offers configurable process-level I/O displays for Linux, with interactive and batch options. Its root-access requirement and platform limit are important considerations.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users who need to view process-level I/O activity and can run a program requiring root access.
Plans and prices
Free
GPL-2.0+ licensed · requires root access
Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Build
- The project documents building from source with make after installing development dependencies.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Filtering
- The command line supports filtering processes by TID and command using a regular expression.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- I/O display
- The interface can show accumulated I/O or bandwidth and can hide or show columns such as read, write, swap-in, and I/O percentage.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The project says iotop is licensed GPL-2.0+.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Linux packages
- The project lists packages or installation instructions for Debian-derived distributions, Fedora, CentOS/RHEL, Void, Arch, and Alpine Linux.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Maintainers
- The project lists Tomas Matejicek and Boian Bonev as current maintainers.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Monitoring
- Options let users monitor selected process IDs or users, or show processes and threads across the machine.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Output modes
- The program supports interactive and batch modes, iteration counts, configurable delays, and timestamps in batch output.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- iotop identifies processes that use high amounts of input/output requests on a machine and lists them by I/O usage.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Release
- The releases page lists version 1.31 as the latest release.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Release signing
- The release page says the version 1.31 tag has a verified committer signature and that the signing key has expired.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Runtime requirement
- Installing and using the program requires root access.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
- Support and community
- The project recommends filing pull requests on GitHub and says its community gathers in the #iotop channel on Libera.Chat.github.com · read 4 Oct 2026
