lm-sensors

At a glance

• Editor score
  6.5 / 10
• Pricing
  Free plan
• Best for
  Linux sensor infrastructure and developers
• Free plan
  Yes
• Paid from
  Free
• Remote monitoring
  No
• Facts checked
  24 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Free, open-source tools for local hardware sensor readings
  • Supports many sensor types through Linux monitoring drivers
  • Includes libsensors, sensord, configuration, and RRD support

• Where it doesn't

  • Linux-only platform support
  • No graphical monitor included
  • No standalone remote monitoring console or fleet interface

Our verdict on lm-sensors

lm-sensors is an open-source Linux package for user-space hardware monitoring. It is designed for Linux systems with supported monitoring hardware, developers building sensor-aware applications, and teams maintaining local sensor infrastructure. The package includes the sensors command for displaying current readings and setting limits, sensors-detect for detecting installed hardware-monitoring chips, libsensors for application integration, and sensord for watching values and logging problems.

Its breadth is a key strength. Depending on the supported drivers, lm-sensors can work with temperature, voltage, fan, power, current, humidity, frequency, PWM, and intrusion data. It connects with Linux kernel hardware-monitoring drivers and commonly accesses sensors through I2C or SMBus interfaces. Custom sensor labels and conversion rules can be defined through configuration files, while sensord supports RRD data storage. These capabilities make the package a useful foundation for scripts, applications, and local monitoring workflows rather than a finished visual dashboard.

The product is free and open source, with Linux as its supported platform. Setup and results depend on the hardware-monitoring chips and drivers available on the system, so it fits users comfortable with Linux commands, configuration files, and application libraries. It does not include a graphical monitor or a standalone remote monitoring console, and its published scope centers on local readings, limits, detection, logging, and storage. Choose lm-sensors when you need an extensible Linux sensor layer or developer library. Choose an alternative when you need a managed fleet interface, remote monitoring workflow, or graphical monitoring experience.

Your product? Our editors can test lm-sensors in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

lm-sensors pricing

lm-sensors fact sheet

Alternatives to lm-sensors

• GlassmkrFree monitoring for Linux hardware, with hosted simplicity or self-hosted control.9.3
• SSSupermicro SuperDoctor 5A free, focused monitor for Supermicro server health, alerts, logs, and remote power control.9.2
• HHWiNFOA deep Windows diagnostics suite for users who need detailed sensors, reports, and alerts.9.1

See all lm-sensors alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

lm-sensors is listed in our Hardware Monitoring Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update