GSmartControl vs HDAT2

GSmartControl8.7Visit HHDAT28.1Visit

Higher score GSmartControl #4 in Disk Diagnostic Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit GSmartControl

vs

H HDAT2 #7 in Disk Diagnostic Software 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit HDAT2

• GSmartControl fits best

  Graphical SMART diagnostics across desktops

• HDAT2 fits best

  Bootable low-level device diagnostics

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Side by side

Feature	GSmartControl 8.7/10 Visit ↗	HHDAT2 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.1
Ranking	#4 in Disk Diagnostic Software	#7 in Disk Diagnostic Software
Best for	Graphical SMART diagnostics across desktops	Bootable low-level device diagnostics
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features GSmartControl 0/5 · HDAT2 4/5
Bad-sector scan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Read/write testing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Surface scan	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Bootable media	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
SMART tests	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Platform	Not checked yet	Dos
Maximum drive size	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Highlights SMART anomalies and runs drive self-tests Supports SATA, PATA, NVMe, selected USB bridges, and RAID controllers	Tests and repairs bad sectors across many storage device types Includes SMART, read/write/compare, filesystem, and sector tests Boots from ISO, IMG, or USB-compatible media without a paid plan
Cons	Some USB-bridge and RAID-controller configurations are supported selectively Focused on SMART diagnostics rather than broader disk management Saved smartctl output is available only as a read-only virtual device	The main program requires real DOS and boot media Windows downloads are demo versions rather than the main program Some SMART functions depend on compatible ATA, SATA, SCSI, or NVMe drives
Our verdict	GSmartControl is a free, open-source graphical interface for smartctl and the smartmontools package. It is designed for users who want to inspect HDD and SSD health without working exclusively at the command line. The application displays… Read the review →	HDAT2 is a freeware disk-testing and diagnostic utility for users who need low-level storage-device inspection from bootable media. It supports ATA, ATAPI, SATA, NVMe, SSD, SCSI, and USB devices, with functions for bad-sector testing and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• GSmartControl — where it wins

  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Highlights SMART anomalies and runs drive self-tests
  • Supports SATA, PATA, NVMe, selected USB bridges, and RAID controllers

  Where it doesn't

  • Some USB-bridge and RAID-controller configurations are supported selectively
  • Focused on SMART diagnostics rather than broader disk management
  • Saved smartctl output is available only as a read-only virtual device

• HDAT2 — where it wins

  • Tests and repairs bad sectors across many storage device types
  • Includes SMART, read/write/compare, filesystem, and sector tests
  • Boots from ISO, IMG, or USB-compatible media without a paid plan

  Where it doesn't

  • The main program requires real DOS and boot media
  • Windows downloads are demo versions rather than the main program
  • Some SMART functions depend on compatible ATA, SATA, SCSI, or NVMe drives

• GSmartControl8.7/10 · Free plan

  Free, open-source SMART diagnostics for supported desktop drives.

  Visit GSmartControlFull verdict →
• HHDAT28.1/10 · Free plan

  A free bootable toolkit for low-level storage testing, repair, and inspection.

  Visit HDAT2Full verdict →