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Head-to-head · Disk Health Monitoring Software

smartmontools vs CrystalDiskInfo

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score smartmontools #2 in Disk Health Monitoring Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 5 features Visit smartmontools
CrystalDiskInfo #7 in Disk Health Monitoring Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Try CrystalDiskInfo

smartmontools leads on 0 checks, CrystalDiskInfo on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoresmartmontools · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuressmartmontools · 3 of 5

smartmontools scores higher on our rubric for disk health monitoring software: 9.2 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.

smartmontools is the better fit for technical users needing broad device support. CrystalDiskInfo is the better fit for free Windows SMART and SSD checks.

  • smartmontools fits best

    Technical users needing broad device support

  • CrystalDiskInfo fits best

    Free Windows SMART and SSD checks

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Side by side

Feature smartmontools 9.2/10 Visit ↗ CrystalDiskInfo 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.5
Ranking #2 in Disk Health Monitoring Software #7 in Disk Health Monitoring Software
Best for Technical users needing broad device support Free Windows SMART and SSD checks
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Windows
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features smartmontools 3/5 · CrystalDiskInfo 2/5
SMART monitoring ✓ ✓
SSD wear tracking Not checked yet Not checked yet
Temperature alerts ✓ ✓
Failure warnings ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Remote monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Drives on cheapest plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported platforms Darwin (Mac OS X), Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OS/2, Cygwin, QNX, eComStation, Windows Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11 and Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019/2022/2025; x86/x64/ARM64
Our review
Pros
  • Supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe devices
  • SMART polling, self-tests, logs, alerts, and temperature tracking
  • Free, open source, and available across many operating systems
  • Detailed SMART values with health states, temperatures, and graphs
  • SSD remaining-life indicators and configurable temperature thresholds
  • Resident monitoring with email alerts for supported drive events
Cons
  • Command-line focus is less accessible for nontechnical users
  • Configuration uses tools such as smartctl and smartd
  • No graphical monitoring interface is listed
  • Windows-only platform scope
  • USB, RAID, and controller compatibility varies
  • Does not predict the exact date of drive failure
Our verdict

smartmontools is an open-source package for monitoring and controlling storage-device health through SMART data. It combines smartctl, a command-line inspection and device-control utility, with smartd, a daemon that periodically polls…

Read the review →

CrystalDiskInfo is a free, open-source Windows desktop utility for monitoring HDD and SSD condition. It displays S.M.A.R.T. attributes such as current, worst, threshold, and raw values, alongside drive health, temperature, firmware, serial…

Read the review →
  1. smartmontoolsDisk Health Monitoring Software 9.2Free plan
  2. CrystalDiskInfoDisk Health Monitoring Software 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • smartmontools — where it wins

    • Supports ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe devices
    • SMART polling, self-tests, logs, alerts, and temperature tracking
    • Free, open source, and available across many operating systems

    Where it doesn't

    • Command-line focus is less accessible for nontechnical users
    • Configuration uses tools such as smartctl and smartd
    • No graphical monitoring interface is listed

  • CrystalDiskInfo — where it wins

    • Detailed SMART values with health states, temperatures, and graphs
    • SSD remaining-life indicators and configurable temperature thresholds
    • Resident monitoring with email alerts for supported drive events

    Where it doesn't

    • Windows-only platform scope
    • USB, RAID, and controller compatibility varies
    • Does not predict the exact date of drive failure

More comparisons

All disk health monitoring software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update