Skip to content
SPECIFICTION
Get listed

bmon

github.com

Free plan macOSLinux
Visit github.com
Spec score 7.9 #14 of 33 in Bandwidth Monitoring Software

What it is

bmon is a free bandwidth monitor and rate estimator for Linux and macOS. It captures networking statistics for monitoring and debugging, presenting them through an interactive curses interface or programmable text output for scripts. The 5.0 release notes describe graph rendering with Braille cells, JSON output, traffic-control ingress and egress display filters, and IPv4 and IPv6 addresses in additional information. Installation guidance covers Fedora and CentOS 7 packages, Debian or Ubuntu and CentOS 6 builds, and macOS installation through Homebrew or source compilation. Release notes also mention CI builds for Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD, with fixes for FreeBSD, DragonFly BSD, and OpenBSD builds. The repository lists MIT and BSD license files. bmon is maintained by tgraf and hosted on GitHub Pages. Its free plan costs nothing.

Spec sheet

Purpose
bmon captures networking-related statistics and presents them visually as a monitoring and debugging tool.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
License
The repository lists MIT and BSD license files.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Address details
The 5.0 release notes say IPv4 and IPv6 addresses were added to additional information.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Graph display
The 5.0 release notes say the curses interface can render graphs with Braille cells.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Installation
The README provides package installation instructions for Fedora and CentOS 7, and build instructions for Debian/Ubuntu and CentOS 6.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
JSON output
The 5.0 release notes list support for JSON output.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Linux and BSD builds
The 5.0 release notes mention CI builds for Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD, plus fixes for FreeBSD, DragonFly BSD, and OpenBSD builds.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
macOS support
The README documents installation on macOS through Homebrew or by compiling from source.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Maintainer and hosting
The project page says it is maintained by tgraf and hosted on GitHub Pages.Read 7 Oct 2026 · jafaral.github.io
Output modes
It provides an interactive curses interface and programmable text output for scripting.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Rate estimation
The project describes bmon as a bandwidth monitor and rate estimator.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Traffic control filters
The 5.0 release notes list display filters for traffic control ingress and egress.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Open-source bandwidth monitoring and rate estimation tool Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every bmon plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free open-source bandwidth monitor
  • Interactive curses interface
  • Programmable text and JSON output
  • Braille-cell graph rendering
  • IPv4 and IPv6 details

Limits

  • No application monitoring
  • No user monitoring
  • No SNMP monitoring
  • No bandwidth alerts

Who it suits

bmon suits users who need command-line bandwidth statistics, visual monitoring, or scriptable output on Linux or macOS. It is also relevant for open-source environments using its listed licenses.

Verdict

bmon focuses on network bandwidth measurement with both interactive and script-friendly output. It does not provide broader application, user, SNMP, or alerting functions.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to bmonAll alternatives →