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Head-to-head · Hardware Monitoring Software

smartmontools vs MSI Afterburner

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score smartmontools #5 in Hardware Monitoring Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit smartmontools
MSI Afterburner #6 in Hardware Monitoring Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Try MSI Afterburner

smartmontools leads on 0 checks, MSI Afterburner 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 scoresmartmontools · 8.5/10
  • Free planboth

smartmontools scores higher on our rubric for hardware monitoring software: 8.5 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

smartmontools is the better fit for cross-platform drive health monitoring. MSI Afterburner is the better fit for free Windows GPU tuning and overlays.

  • smartmontools fits best

    Cross-platform drive health monitoring

  • MSI Afterburner fits best

    Free Windows GPU tuning and overlays

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Side by side

Feature smartmontools 8.5/10 Visit ↗ MSI Afterburner 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.5 8.3
Ranking #5 in Hardware Monitoring Software #6 in Hardware Monitoring Software
Best for Cross-platform drive health monitoring Free Windows GPU tuning and overlays
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free
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 0/2 · MSI Afterburner 0/2
Remote monitoring Not checked yet Not checked yet
Custom sensor support Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Darwin (Mac OS X), Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OS/2, Cygwin, QNX, eComStation, Windows Not checked yet
Monitored device limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Sensor history Not checked yet Not checked yet
Alert channels Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe SMART data
  • Supports polling, self-tests, logs, thresholds, and email warnings
  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD systems
  • Free access to overclocking, undervolting, monitoring, and overlays
  • Supports GPUs from MSI and other manufacturers
  • Includes fan curves, profiles, power limits, and capture
Cons
  • Focused on storage devices rather than whole-system monitoring
  • Command-line tools require technical administration skills
  • No verified remote monitoring capability
  • Runs on Windows only
  • Focused on GPU control rather than general hardware monitoring
  • Laptop fan curves may be unavailable when firmware locks fan behavior
Our verdict

smartmontools is an open-source package for monitoring storage-device health through two core utilities: smartctl for command-line inspection and control, and smartd for periodic monitoring. It is intended for administrators and…

Read the review →

MSI Afterburner is a free Windows utility for monitoring and tuning graphics cards from MSI and other manufacturers. It is aimed at users who want direct control over GPU performance, including manual core and memory tuning, undervolting,…

Read the review →
  1. smartmontoolsHardware Monitoring Software 8.5Free plan
  2. MSI AfterburnerHardware Monitoring Software 8.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • smartmontools — where it wins

    • Covers ATA/SATA, SCSI/SAS, and NVMe SMART data
    • Supports polling, self-tests, logs, thresholds, and email warnings
    • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, Linux, and BSD systems

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on storage devices rather than whole-system monitoring
    • Command-line tools require technical administration skills
    • No verified remote monitoring capability

  • MSI Afterburner — where it wins

    • Free access to overclocking, undervolting, monitoring, and overlays
    • Supports GPUs from MSI and other manufacturers
    • Includes fan curves, profiles, power limits, and capture

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs on Windows only
    • Focused on GPU control rather than general hardware monitoring
    • Laptop fan curves may be unavailable when firmware locks fan behavior

More comparisons

All hardware monitoring software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update