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Head-to-head · Game FPS Counters

PresentMon vs GameOverlay

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score PresentMon #7 in Game FPS Counters 7.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit PresentMon
GameOverlay #8 in Game FPS Counters 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit GameOverlay

PresentMon leads on 0 checks, GameOverlay on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePresentMon · 7.8/10
  • Free planboth

PresentMon scores higher on our rubric for game fps counters: 7.8 against 7.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #8.

PresentMon is the better fit for developers building frame-analysis tooling. GameOverlay is the better fit for free Windows FPS and network monitoring.

  • PresentMon fits best

    Developers building frame-analysis tooling

  • GameOverlay fits best

    Free Windows FPS and network monitoring

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Side by side

Feature PresentMon 7.8/10 Visit ↗ GameOverlay 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.8 7.7
Ranking #7 in Game FPS Counters #8 in Game FPS Counters
Best for Developers building frame-analysis tooling Free Windows FPS and network monitoring
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 Solo, Small business
Features PresentMon 0/5 · GameOverlay 0/5
In-game overlay Not checked yet Not checked yet
Frame-time display Not checked yet Not checked yet
GPU metrics Not checked yet Not checked yet
Logging or export Not checked yet Not checked yet
CLI or API access Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Primary platform Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Frame-level CPU, GPU, display, latency, and presentation metrics
  • Real-time overlays, ETW analysis, and per-frame CSV export
  • API/SDK supports DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan applications
  • Tracks FPS, 1% lows, 0.1% lows, ping and packet loss
  • Shows CPU and GPU usage and temperatures in-game
  • Click-through overlay with detailed visual customization
Cons
  • Windows desktop and UWP focus limits cross-platform deployment
  • API and ETW workflows require graphics-engineering expertise
  • Community and documentation support may not meet managed-support needs
  • Runs on Windows desktop only
  • Focused on performance and hardware metrics rather than broader tools
  • Customization requires choosing visibility, colors, layout and typography
Our verdict

PresentMon is an open-source set of Windows tools for capturing and analyzing graphics-application performance. It is aimed at game developers, performance engineers, and graphics analysts who need frame-level visibility rather than a…

Read the review →

GameOverlay is a lightweight, open-source Windows desktop overlay for solo players and small teams that want performance data while playing. It displays FPS, 1% low FPS, 0.1% low FPS, ping, packet loss, CPU usage and temperature, plus GPU…

Read the review →
  1. PresentMonGame FPS Counters 7.8Free plan
  2. GameOverlayGame FPS Counters 7.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • PresentMon — where it wins

    • Frame-level CPU, GPU, display, latency, and presentation metrics
    • Real-time overlays, ETW analysis, and per-frame CSV export
    • API/SDK supports DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan applications

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows desktop and UWP focus limits cross-platform deployment
    • API and ETW workflows require graphics-engineering expertise
    • Community and documentation support may not meet managed-support needs

  • GameOverlay — where it wins

    • Tracks FPS, 1% lows, 0.1% lows, ping and packet loss
    • Shows CPU and GPU usage and temperatures in-game
    • Click-through overlay with detailed visual customization

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs on Windows desktop only
    • Focused on performance and hardware metrics rather than broader tools
    • Customization requires choosing visibility, colors, layout and typography

More comparisons

All game FPS counters comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update