SIW vs Autoruns

SIW8.6Visit Autoruns8.1Visit

Higher score SIW #4 in System Information Software 8.6/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit SIW

vs

Autoruns #8 in System Information Software 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Autoruns

• SIW fits best

  Professional Windows system inventory

• Autoruns fits best

  Windows startup and driver investigation

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Side by side

Feature	SIW 8.6/10 Visit ↗	Autoruns 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.1
Ranking	#4 in System Information Software	#8 in System Information Software
Best for	Professional Windows system inventory	Windows startup and driver investigation
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features SIW 4/4 · Autoruns 0/4
Firmware details	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Installed software	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Portable version	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Command-line interface	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Operating systems	Windows	Not checked yet
Report export	Html	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Detailed hardware, software, network, BIOS, and firmware inventory Portable Technician’s Version runs without installation Batch, command-line, and multi-format report generation	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 platform limits cross-platform inventory work No free plan; access is offered through paid editions Updates and support vary by the selected edition	Windows desktop only Focused on autostart configuration rather than general system inventory Disabling or deleting entries requires careful judgment
Our verdict	SIW is a Windows system information and diagnostics utility for IT support teams, system administrators, security auditors, and professionals managing computer inventories. It analyzes hardware, software, operating-system settings,… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• SIW — where it wins

  • Detailed hardware, software, network, BIOS, and firmware inventory
  • Portable Technician’s Version runs without installation
  • Batch, command-line, and multi-format report generation

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only platform limits cross-platform inventory work
  • No free plan; access is offered through paid editions
  • Updates and support vary by the selected edition

• 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

• SIW8.6/10 · 14-day trial

  A broad Windows inventory tool for IT support, audits, and system administration.

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

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

  Visit AutorunsFull verdict →