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Scalene

Free#11 of 28 in Profiling Software

Scalene: A broad Python profiler for finding CPU, memory, GPU, copy, and async bottlenecks. Ranked #11 of 28 in Profiling Software by our editors (8.0/10); pricing: Open source; best for advanced Python performance analysis.

8.0/10Editor score

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At a glance

Editor score
8.0 / 10
Pricing
Open source
Best for
Advanced Python performance analysis
Paid from
Free
Profiling modes
Sampling
Facts checked
20 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Profiles CPU, native, system, memory, GPU, copy volume, and async activity
- Combines CLI, browser, Jupyter, and Visual Studio Code workflows
- Open-source and supports offline operation with optional AI suggestions
Where it doesn't
- Supported language coverage is limited to Python
- The feature breadth may exceed the needs of simple CPU profiling
- AI suggestions require a configured provider or local model

Our verdict on Scalene

Scalene is an open-source profiling tool for Python applications, aimed at developers investigating performance across more than CPU usage alone. Its sampling-based analysis separates Python, native, and system time, while line-level and function-level views help narrow findings to specific code. It also covers memory allocation trends, likely leaks, GPU activity, copy volume, asynchronous waits, concurrency metrics, and stitched Python/native call stacks. That scope makes it a strong fit for advanced Python performance analysis, particularly when bottlenecks cross runtime, library, memory, or hardware boundaries.

The workflow spans a command-line interface, a browser-based graphical interface, Jupyter notebook magics, and a Visual Studio Code extension. Scalene operates locally and supports offline use, which suits developers who want profiling results close to their development environment. Jupyter and Visual Studio Code support also give it a practical place in notebook and editor-based workflows rather than restricting analysis to terminal output. Integrations with Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, and Ollama support optional AI-powered optimization suggestions, including use with local models through Ollama.

Its main trade-off is focus: Scalene supports Python rather than offering a multi-language profiling surface. The broad set of measurements can also be more than a straightforward CPU investigation requires, while AI suggestions add a provider or model configuration step. Choose Scalene when Python performance work spans CPU, native execution, memory, GPU, copying, or asynchronous behavior and you want open-source local tooling. Choose an alternative when your team needs profiling across multiple programming languages or only wants a narrower, simpler profiler.

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

Scalene pricing

Plans Open sourceFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on github.com

Scalene fact sheet

Free plan	Not verified
Paid from	Free
Profiling modes	Sampling
Supported languages	Python
CPU profiling	Yes
Memory profiling	Yes
Thread profiling	Yes
Deployment model	Desktop
Deployment	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Integrations	6 integrations: Jupyter, Visual Studio Code, Amazon Bedrock, Microsoft Azure, OpenAI, Ollama
Pricing	Open source
Website	github.com
Facts checked	20 Sep 2026

Scalene integrations

Scalene lists 6 integrations on its own site.

Jupyter
Visual Studio Code
Amazon Bedrock
Microsoft Azure
OpenAI
Ollama

Alternatives to Scalene

See all Scalene alternatives →

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Featured on iTechGuides

Scalene is listed in our Profiling 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