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Head-to-head · System Information Software

Belarc Advisor vs Autoruns

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score Belarc Advisor #5 in System Information Software 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Belarc
Autoruns #8 in System Information Software 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Autoruns

Belarc Advisor leads on 0 checks, Autoruns on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreBelarc Advisor · 8.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresBelarc Advisor · 1 of 4

Belarc Advisor scores higher on our rubric for system information software: 8.4 against 8.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #8.

Belarc Advisor is the better fit for simple free Windows inventory checks. Autoruns is the better fit for windows startup and driver investigation.

  • Belarc Advisor fits best

    Simple free Windows inventory checks

  • Autoruns fits best

    Windows startup and driver investigation

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Belarc Advisor 8.4/10 Visit ↗ Autoruns 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.4 8.1
Ranking #5 in System Information Software #8 in System Information Software
Best for Simple free Windows inventory checks Windows startup and driver investigation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows Windows
Built for Solo Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Belarc Advisor 1/4 · Autoruns 0/4
Firmware details Not checked yet Not checked yet
Installed software ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Portable version Not checked yet Not checked yet
Command-line interface Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Operating systems Windows Not checked yet
Report export Html Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers installed software, hardware, network inventory, and hotfixes
  • Reports antivirus status and security benchmark results
  • Keeps PC profile information locally with browser-based reports
  • Extensive inspection across startup, drivers, services, tasks, and extensions
  • Digital signature verification and optional VirusTotal checks
  • Autorunsc exports results in CSV, tab-delimited, or XML formats
Cons
  • Windows-only support limits cross-platform inventory
  • Licensed for personal use, not commercial or government use
  • Does not provide monitoring or integrations
  • Windows desktop only
  • Focused on autostart configuration rather than general system inventory
  • Disabling or deleting entries requires careful judgment
Our verdict

Belarc Advisor creates a detailed inventory profile of a Windows PC for people who need a straightforward view of installed software, hardware, network details, Microsoft hotfix status, antivirus status, and security benchmarks. Its…

Read the review →

Autoruns is a free Windows desktop utility for inspecting programs, drivers, services, registry entries, and file-system locations configured to run automatically. It is intended for people investigating boot and login behavior, reviewing…

Read the review →
  1. Belarc AdvisorSystem Information Software 8.4Free plan
  2. AutorunsSystem Information Software 8.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Belarc Advisor — where it wins

    • Covers installed software, hardware, network inventory, and hotfixes
    • Reports antivirus status and security benchmark results
    • Keeps PC profile information locally with browser-based reports

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only support limits cross-platform inventory
    • Licensed for personal use, not commercial or government use
    • Does not provide monitoring or integrations
  • Autoruns — where it wins

    • Extensive inspection across startup, drivers, services, tasks, and extensions
    • Digital signature verification and optional VirusTotal checks
    • Autorunsc exports results in CSV, tab-delimited, or XML formats

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows desktop only
    • Focused on autostart configuration rather than general system inventory
    • Disabling or deleting entries requires careful judgment
  • Belarc Advisor8.4/10 · Free plan

    A free Windows inventory report for software, hardware, network, and security checks.

    Visit BelarcFull verdict →
  • Autoruns8.1/10 · Free plan

    A free Windows utility for detailed startup, driver, service, and autostart investigation.

    Visit AutorunsFull verdict →

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update