nmon
nmon: A focused, free Linux monitor for collecting and analyzing system performance data. Ranked #18 of 26 in Process Monitoring Software by our editors (7.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for linux performance measurement and reporting.
At a glance
- Editor score7.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forLinux performance measurement and reporting
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Founded2009
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Covers CPU, memory, network, disk, filesystem, NFS, and top processes
- Captures comma-separated data for longer-term measurement and later analysis
- Supports POWER, x86, x86_64, mainframe, and ARM Linux systems
Where it doesn't
- Linux-only, with no support for other operating system platforms
- No verified alerts, process actions, or remote monitoring
- Terminal-focused interface may not suit teams seeking a broader monitoring workflow
Our verdict on nmon
nmon is a command-line performance monitoring and benchmarking tool for Linux systems. It is designed for system administrators, performance tuners, and users investigating server or system performance. The interactive curses interface displays CPU, memory, network, disk, filesystem, NFS, resource, and top-process metrics. The project provides open-source source code and precompiled binaries for Linux on POWER, x86, x86_64, mainframe, and ARM systems, making it a focused option for Linux performance measurement and reporting.
Its strongest fit is measurement over time rather than ongoing operational response. nmon can save performance measurements to comma-separated files for later analysis, supporting longer-term collection and comparison. HTML chart generation is available through the related nmonchart tool, while nmon Analyser is listed as an integration. These capabilities give technical users a path from interactive terminal inspection to captured data and report-style output. Choose nmon when the priority is collecting broad host and process metrics in a Linux environment.
The product is free and open source, with source code and precompiled binaries available. Its scope is narrower than a monitoring system built around verified alerts, process actions, or remote monitoring, none of which are part of the published positioning. Teams that need a command-line measurement tool for local or server performance analysis should find the feature set aligned with that goal. Teams seeking centralized remote oversight or automated intervention should choose a product built for those needs instead.
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nmon pricing
nmon fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Supported platforms | Linux on POWER, x86, x86_64, mainframe, and ARM |
| Remote monitoring | Not verified |
| Service monitoring | Not verified |
| Process alerting | Not verified |
| History retention | Not verified |
| Process controls | Not verified |
| Activity logs | Yes |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 2 integrations: nmonchart, nmon Analyser |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | nmon.sourceforge.io |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
nmon integrations
nmon lists 2 integrations on its own site.
- nmonchart
- nmon Analyser
Alternatives to nmon
- GlancesA broad, free monitoring toolkit for cross-platform and self-hosted infrastructure.9.4
- PM2A capable Node.js process manager with deeper monitoring in paid tiers.9.2
- MonitA focused self-hosted monitor for service health, system checks, and automatic recovery.9.1
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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