PerfView
PerfView: A free, open-source choice for detailed Windows and .NET diagnostics. Ranked #21 of 28 in Profiling Software by our editors (7.8/10); pricing: Free plan; best for free Windows and .NET diagnostics.
At a glance
- Editor score7.8 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forFree Windows and .NET diagnostics
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Profiling modesSampling
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free and open source for desktop-based performance analysis
- Combines CPU, memory, heap, thread, ETW, and EventPipe analysis
- Supports .NET, C/C++, JScript, symbols, dumps, and trace comparison
Where it doesn't
- Windows desktop application limits native platform coverage
- Linux support is limited to analyzing some collected data
- Its wide diagnostic scope may require specialist performance knowledge
Our verdict on PerfView
PerfView is a free, open-source Windows desktop application from Microsoft for investigating CPU and memory-related performance issues. It is aimed at developers and performance engineers working with .NET, native Windows applications, and related runtime or system traces. The tool supports sampling-based profiling across C/C++, .NET, and JScript, with CPU, memory, and thread profiling capabilities in a desktop deployment model.
Its main strength is the depth of its diagnostic coverage. PerfView can collect and parse Event Tracing for Windows data, process EventPipe and .NET traces, inspect managed allocations, and analyze CPU stacks. It also supports heap snapshot collection and comparison, trace and heap-dump diffing, symbol resolution for .NET, JScript, and native code, and real-time ETW event monitoring. That combination makes it suitable when an investigation needs to connect CPU activity, allocations, heap state, thread behavior, and runtime events in one tool.
The trade-off is platform focus. PerfView runs as a Windows application, while its Linux capability is limited to analyzing some data collected on Linux rather than providing a native Linux application. Teams working primarily with Windows, .NET, or native Windows traces should find its coverage aligned with their diagnostic needs. Teams seeking a cross-platform profiling application or a simpler, narrower workflow should choose a tool designed around those requirements instead.
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PerfView pricing
PerfView fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Profiling modes | Sampling |
| Supported languages | C/C++, .NET, JScript |
| CPU profiling | Yes |
| Memory profiling | Yes |
| Thread profiling | Yes |
| Deployment model | Desktop |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | github.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to PerfView
- Intel VTune ProfilerA free profiler covering CPU, memory, threading, GPU/NPU, I/O, MPI, and OpenMP.9.4
- AMD uProfA free AMD-focused profiler with broad CPU, system, threading, power, GPU, and tracing analysis.9.2
- PyroscopeA flexible profiler for teams that need continuous CPU and memory visibility at scale.9.1
See all PerfView alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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