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Head-to-head · Disk Benchmark Software

fio vs AJA System Test

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score fio #2 in Disk Benchmark Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit fio
AJA System Test #4 in Disk Benchmark Software 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit AJA

fio leads on 0 checks, AJA System Test on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorefio · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresfio · 5 of 5

fio scores higher on our rubric for disk benchmark software: 8.8 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

fio is the better fit for broad, rigorous cross-platform benchmarking. AJA System Test is the better fit for video-production storage throughput testing.

  • fio fits best

    Broad, rigorous cross-platform benchmarking

  • AJA System Test fits best

    Video-production storage throughput testing

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Side by side

Feature fio 8.8/10 Visit ↗ AJA System Test 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.4
Ranking #2 in Disk Benchmark Software #4 in Disk Benchmark Software
Best for Broad, rigorous cross-platform benchmarking Video-production storage throughput testing
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Desktop
Platforms Linux, Windows, macOS Windows, macOS
Support Community, Docs Email, Phone
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features fio 5/5 · AJA System Test 0/5
Random I/O tests ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Sequential tests ✓ (best) Not checked yet
IOPS measurement ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Latency measurement ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Command-line interface ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Linux, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, OSX, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Windows, FreeBSD, DragonFly Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers sequential, random, mixed, IOPS, bandwidth, and latency workloads
  • Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, and several Unix-like systems
  • Exports normal, terse, JSON, and JSON+ result formats
  • Tests local and network-mapped drives with video-oriented settings
  • Shows throughput as MB/sec or FPS with graphical results
  • Supports AJA KONA, AJA Io, and AJA T-TAP workflows
Cons
  • Command-line and job-file workflows require technical familiarity
  • Results and workload behavior depend on configuration choices
  • Focused on engineering measurement rather than guided visual analysis
  • System Test Lite is available for macOS only
  • PCIe bandwidth testing requires the full version
  • Its focus is video workflow testing rather than broad benchmarking
Our verdict

fio is an open-source I/O tester for measuring storage and filesystem performance. It is intended for engineers and administrators who need configurable benchmarks across Linux, Windows, macOS, and several Unix-like operating systems.…

Read the review →

AJA System Test evaluates storage-drive performance for recording and playback workflows, with tests for read/write speed and overall throughput. It is designed for video production and post-production environments that need to assess…

Read the review →
  1. fioDisk Benchmark Software 8.8Free plan
  2. AJA System TestDisk Benchmark Software 8.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • fio — where it wins

    • Covers sequential, random, mixed, IOPS, bandwidth, and latency workloads
    • Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, and several Unix-like systems
    • Exports normal, terse, JSON, and JSON+ result formats

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line and job-file workflows require technical familiarity
    • Results and workload behavior depend on configuration choices
    • Focused on engineering measurement rather than guided visual analysis

  • AJA System Test — where it wins

    • Tests local and network-mapped drives with video-oriented settings
    • Shows throughput as MB/sec or FPS with graphical results
    • Supports AJA KONA, AJA Io, and AJA T-TAP workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • System Test Lite is available for macOS only
    • PCIe bandwidth testing requires the full version
    • Its focus is video workflow testing rather than broad benchmarking
  • fio8.8/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source benchmark for detailed storage and filesystem performance analysis.

    Visit fioFull verdict →
  • AJA System Test8.4/10 · Free plan

    A free, video-focused benchmark for local, network, and AJA-connected storage workflows.

    Visit AJAFull verdict →

More comparisons

All disk benchmark software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update