Best bottom (btm) Alternatives in 2026
The top bottom (btm) alternatives are Glances, PM2 and Monit: 15 process monitoring software our editors would look at instead of bottom (btm), in our ranking order.
bottom (btm): A free, open-source monitor for interactive local system and process visibility. Where it falls short: no verified alerting capabilities.
Switching from bottom (btm)? For most process monitoring software buyers the best bottom (btm) alternative is Glances, built for cross-platform and remote infrastructure monitoring. On a budget, Owlette starts at $20/device/mo. AppControl offers the most history retention (72 days).
Why People Look for a bottom (btm) Alternative
- No verified alerting capabilities
- No remote monitoring or integrations
- History is configurable by graph range rather than retention period
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallGlances9.4
Cross-platform and remote infrastructure monitoring
Visit Glances - Lowest priceOwlette8.3
Paid plans from $20/device/mo
Visit Owlette - Best free optionGlances9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Glances - Most history retentionAppControl8.8
72 days
Visit AppControl
All 15 bottom (btm) Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forCross-platform and remote infrastructure monitoring
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 9.4 vs 7.9
A broad, free monitoring toolkit for cross-platform and self-hosted infrastructure.
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Glances -
Best forNode.js application process operations
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 9.2 vs 7.9
A capable Node.js process manager with deeper monitoring in paid tiers.
- Remote monitoring
- Process alerting
- Activity logs
9.2/10★★★★★Visit PM2 -
Best forSelf-hosted service health and auto-recovery
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 9.1 vs 7.9
A focused self-hosted monitor for service health, system checks, and automatic recovery.
- Service monitoring
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Monit -
Best forSelf-hosted process supervision with APIs
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 9.0 vs 7.9
A focused open-source supervisor for restarting, grouping, logging, and controlling processes.
- Remote monitoring
- Process alerting
- Activity logs
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Supervisor -
Best forWindows users needing automated process control
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.9 vs 7.9
A Windows-focused controller for automated process rules, monitoring, and resource management.
- Activity logs
- Process controls
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Process Lasso -
Best forFree Windows monitoring with controls and alerts
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.8 vs 7.9
Free Windows monitoring with three-day history, alerts, and application controls.
- Process alerting
- Service monitoring
- Activity logs
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit AppControl -
Best forLinux administrators needing historical process data
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.7 vs 7.9
A focused open-source monitor for detailed Linux process history and analysis.
- Activity logs
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Atoptool.nl -
Best forDeep Windows and Linux process inspection
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.6 vs 7.9
Deep live process inspection for technical users, without alerting, history, or remote monitoring.
- Service monitoring
- Process controls
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit TaskExplorer -
Best forWindows developers tracking performance regressions
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.9
A focused Windows tool for finding performance regressions across development runs.
- Process alerting
- Activity logs
- Process controls
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Ambih Monitor -
Best forWindows users needing detailed system inspection
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.4 vs 7.9
A free, open-source Windows utility for detailed process, resource, disk, and network inspection.
- Service monitoring
- Process controls
8.4/10★★★★☆Try System Informer -
Best forRemote Windows process operations
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.3 vs 7.9
A focused remote operations tool for monitoring, controlling, and recovering Windows processes.
- Remote monitoring
- Process alerting
- Activity logs
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Owlette -
Best forLightweight Unix service supervision
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.2 vs 7.9
A focused, free Unix service supervisor for availability, control, and logs—not broad analytics.
- Service monitoring
- Activity logs
- Process controls
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit runit -
Best forMinimal POSIX daemon supervision
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.9
A focused self-hosted toolkit for supervising long-running POSIX services.
- Service monitoring
- Activity logs
- Process controls
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit skarnet.org -
Best forLinux process and systemd inspection
- Better than bottom (btm):
- Editor score 8.0 vs 7.9
A focused Linux desktop monitor for processes, resources, charts, and systemd services.
- Service monitoring
- Process controls
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit rproc -
Best forCustomizable terminal monitoring on Unix systems
A free, open-source terminal monitor with detailed local process controls.
- Process controls
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit btop
bottom (btm) Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to bottom (btm)?
Glances: #1 in our Process Monitoring Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A broad, free monitoring toolkit for cross-platform and self-hosted infrastructure.
Is there a free alternative to bottom (btm)?
Yes. Glances, PM2, Monit, Supervisor and Process Lasso have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for bottom (btm) alternatives?
No verified alerting capabilities; No remote monitoring or integrations; History is configurable by graph range rather than retention period.
Which bottom (btm) alternative has the most history retention?
AppControl, with 72 days.
How do I switch from bottom (btm)?
Export your data from bottom (btm) (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel bottom (btm).
How to Switch from bottom (btm)
- Export your data from bottom (btm) (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel bottom (btm).
bottom (btm) vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Service monitoring | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | bottom (btm) | Yes | Free | Linux, macOS, Windows | 7.9 | |
| 1 | Glances | Yes | Free | 9.4 | ||
| 2 | PM2 | Yes | Linux, macOS, Windows, web dashboard | 9.2 | ||
| 3 | Monit | Yes | Free | Yes | 9.1 | |
| 4 | Supervisor | Yes | Free | Linux, macOS, self-hosted Unix-like systems, web interface, XML-RPC API | 9.0 | |
| 5 | Process Lasso | Yes | $24.95/device/yr | Windows 7, 8, 10, 11; Windows Server 2012-2025 | 8.9 | |
| 6 | AppControl | Yes | Free | Windows | Yes | 8.8 |
| 7 | atop | Yes | Free | linux | 8.7 | |
| 8 | TaskExplorer | Free | Windows, Linux | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 9 | Ambih Monitor | Yes | $65/yr | Windows | No | 8.5 |
| 10 | System Informer | Yes | Free | Windows | Yes | 8.4 |
| 11 | Owlette | No | $20/device/mo | Windows | 8.3 | |
| 12 | runit | Yes | Free | GNU/Linux, *BSD, MacOSX, Solaris, other adaptable Unix systems | Yes | 8.2 |
| 13 | s6 | Free | POSIX-compliant systems | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 14 | rproc | Free | Linux (X11 or Wayland) | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 15 | btop | Yes | Free | Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD | 7.8 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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