AlwaysUp vs NSSM
AlwaysUp
coretechnologies.comNSSM
nssm.ccSide by side
| Figure | AlwaysUp | NSSM |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 1 |
| Spec score · Startup Manager Software | 8.2 (#3) | 7.6 (#12) |
| Purpose | AlwaysUp runs applications as Windows Services so they start at boot and continue running when no user is logged in. | NSSM runs an application as a Windows service, monitors it, and can restart it if it exits. |
| Support | The maker offers free technical support by email or phone and says it responds to company inquiries within one business day. | The site directs users to the Windows Application Event Log for troubleshooting and to the author's email address in repository commits to report bugs. |
Plans
AlwaysUp
- Individual (25+ licenses)$37.49, paid once
- Individual (10–24 licenses)$39.99, paid once
- Individual (2–9 licenses)$44.99, paid once
- Individual (single license)$49.99, paid once
- Limited Site License$999, paid once
- Limited Enterprise/Multi-Site License$1,999, paid once
- Site Plus License$1,999, paid once
- Enterprise/Multi-Site Plus License$2,799, paid once
- Unlimited Site License$2,999, paid once
- Unlimited Enterprise/Multi-Site License$4,999, paid once
In their own words
AlwaysUp
AlwaysUp runs applications as Windows Services so they can start at boot and keep running without a user logged in. It supports executables, batch files, Java applications, Python scripts and other application types. Monitoring can trigger restarts if an application crashes, hangs or uses too much memory; email alerts and Windows Event Log reporting provide activity details. Scheduling options include application restarts and computer reboots, alongside custom sanity checks and automation for dialogs and forms. The maker lists compatibility guides for more than 160 applications, including Dropbox, Google Drive for desktop and Plex Media Server. The current release supports Windows 11 and 10, and Windows Server 2025, 2022, 2019 and 2016; earlier releases are available for some older versions. The maker says core functionality needs no internet access, configuration stays local, and installations do not transmit personal data or telemetry. A free Web Service add-on provides browser or HTTP API control, with HTTPS support. An unrestricted 30-day trial is available. An individual single-PC license costs $49.99 as a one-time purchase; additional volume and site license options are listed.
NSSM
NSSM is a Windows service helper that runs an application as a service, watches its process, and responds when it exits. A graphical interface installs or removes services, while command-line options support scripted configuration. On exit, NSSM can restart the application, ignore the event, terminate itself, or exit uncleanly so Windows recovery actions can run. It records its own progress in the Windows system Event Log and can redirect the monitored program’s input and output. Output files can rotate at a configurable size, including while the program continues running. Administrators can set process priority and CPU affinity, and start, stop, or query services. NSSM provides 32-bit and 64-bit binaries and says it should work on Windows 2000 or later. It is public domain, with source usable for any purpose. The site lists version 2.24 from 2014-08-31 as latest, plus a 2017 prerelease. Administrator access is required; documented bugs affect newer startup, XP, and large log rotation.