Head-to-head · Profiling Software
async-profiler vs PerfView
async-profiler leads on 0 checks, PerfView on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreasync-profiler · 8.3/10
- Free planboth
async-profiler scores higher on our rubric for profiling software: 8.3 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #10 and #21.
On profiling modes, async-profiler gives you Both where PerfView offers Sampling. On deployment model, async-profiler gives you Self-hosted where PerfView offers Desktop.
async-profiler is the better fit for free, deep Java and native profiling. PerfView is the better fit for free Windows and .NET diagnostics.
- async-profiler fits best
Free, deep Java and native profiling
- PerfView fits best
Free Windows and .NET diagnostics
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Side by side
| Feature | async-profiler 8.3/10 Visit ↗ | PerfView 7.8/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.3 | 7.8 |
| Ranking | #10 in Profiling Software | #21 in Profiling Software |
| Best for | Free, deep Java and native profiling | Free Windows and .NET diagnostics |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Self-hosted, Desktop | Desktop |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS | Windows |
| Support | Community, Docs | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features async-profiler 3/3 · PerfView 3/3 | ||
| CPU profiling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Memory profiling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thread profiling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Profiling modes | Both | Sampling |
| Supported languages | Java, C, C++ | C/C++, .NET, JScript |
| Deployment model | Self-hosted | Desktop |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | async-profiler is an open-source, self-hosted profiling tool primarily for Java applications running on HotSpot-based JVMs. It also supports native application profiling and integration with C and C++ through a native API. The project is… Read the review → |
PerfView is a free, open-source Windows desktop application from Microsoft for investigating CPU and memory-related performance issues. It is aimed at developers and performance engineers working with .NET, native Windows applications, and… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
async-profiler — where it wins
- Profiles CPU, heap, native memory, locks, wall time and counters
- Outputs Flame Graphs and JFR, with Java and C APIs
- Open-source, self-hosted tooling for Java, C and C++
Where it doesn't
- Primarily targets Java applications on HotSpot-based JVMs
- Officially maintained builds focus on Linux and macOS
- Requires local binaries, libraries or agent integration
PerfView — where it wins
- Free and open source for desktop-based performance analysis
- Combines CPU, memory, heap, thread, ETW, and EventPipe analysis
- Supports .NET, C/C++, JScript, symbols, dumps, and trace comparison
Where it doesn't
- Windows desktop application limits native platform coverage
- Linux support is limited to analyzing some collected data
- Its wide diagnostic scope may require specialist performance knowledge
- async-profiler8.3/10 · Free plan
A deep, self-hosted profiler for Java and native workloads, with narrower platform coverage.
Visit async-profilerFull verdict → - PerfView7.8/10 · Free plan
A free, open-source choice for detailed Windows and .NET diagnostics.
Visit PerfViewFull verdict →
All profiling software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update