Facter vs Fastfetch
Facter
puppet.com
Fastfetch
fastfetch.devSide by side
| Figure | Facter | Fastfetch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 2 |
| Spec score · System Information Software | 8.8 (#2) | 8.7 (#3) |
| Configuration | Facter can be configured to block fact groups or cache facts with time-to-live settings; this can help when fact collection is slow. | Configuration uses JSONC files and an official JSON schema that supports editor completion and validation. |
| Latest release | Facter 4.22.0 was released in September 2026 and constrains its JSON dependency to versions from 2.0 up to but excluding 4. | Release 2.69.0 was published September 25, 2026. |
| License | Facter is open source and the repository identifies the Apache-2.0 license. | The project is distributed under the MIT License. |
| Purpose | Facter is a command-line tool that gathers facts about systems, including hardware details, network settings, and operating system type and version. | Fastfetch displays operating system, hardware, and software information in a terminal alongside customizable logos. |
| What it does | Facter is Puppet’s cross-platform system-profiling library that discovers per-node facts and exposes them as variables in Puppet manifests. | Fastfetch is a C-based command-line utility that displays operating-system, hardware and desktop information beside ASCII or image logos. |
Plans
Facter
- Puppet Core DeveloperFree
- Puppet Core CommercialPriced on request
- Puppet EnterprisePriced on request
- Puppet Enterprise AdvancedPriced on request
In their own words
Facter
Facter is a free command-line tool that gathers system information such as hardware details, network settings, and operating system type and version. Puppet uses it to collect information before requesting a catalog or compiling one with puppet apply. Its built-in core facts include legacy and structured facts, though some facts do not apply to every system. Users can add custom facts in Ruby, with multiple resolutions available for determining a value, or external facts that return static data or output from a script or program. Facts can be hashes or arrays, and Boolean, numeric, and structured values retain their types. Configuration can block fact groups or cache results with time-to-live settings. Facts are available in Puppet manifests, while the --puppet option loads Puppet-specific facts from the command line. PuppetDB's API can support exploration, search, and reporting on infrastructure facts. Facter runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and can be self-hosted. Legacy facts are omitted from default command-line output unless --show-legacy is used. Puppet's custom-fact examples require some Ruby familiarity, and facter.conf must be created manually or managed with a module.
Fastfetch
Fastfetch is a free, open-source command-line tool that displays operating system, hardware, and software details in a terminal alongside customizable logos. Its more than 75 modules cover information such as CPU, GPU, memory, disks, battery, TPM, audio, and Wi-Fi. It can display ASCII logos or render images through Kitty, Sixel, iTerm2, or Chafa protocols. Configuration uses JSONC, with an official schema for editor autocomplete and validation. The maker lists native support for Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD, and Android through Termux, and installation options including winget, Scoop, Homebrew, MacPorts, APT, Pacman, DNF, FreeBSD pkg, and Termux. Fastfetch can be integrated with Bash, Zsh, Fish, PowerShell, and Nushell startup setups and is compatible with Starship and Oh My Posh. Sample configurations can query music services for media information. The maker highlights terminal startup greetings, hardware auditing and diagnostics, and desktop screenshot showcases. It warns that unconditional output from a shell startup file can disrupt SCP, SFTP, and other non-interactive shell operations.