hw-probe vs HWiNFO
hw-probe
github.comHWiNFO
hwinfo.comSide by side
| Figure | hw-probe | HWiNFO |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 8 |
| Spec score · System Information Software | 8.2 (#7) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Privacy | The project says it attempts to mask private information before upload, warns this can fail in edge cases, and uploads data over HTTPS. | Does not collect personal information or transmit data over the network. |
Plans
HWiNFO
- Pro Subscription (starting price)Priced on request
- Pro Subscription (starting price)Price not published
- Pro Lifetime (starting price)Priced on request
- Pro Lifetime (starting price)Price not published
- Subscription Pro$29 a year
- Lifetime Pro$199, paid once
- Commercial evaluationFree
- Personal non-commercialFree
In their own words
hw-probe
hw-probe is a free hardware probing tool for Linux and BSD systems, aimed at debugging computer problems and managing hardware inventory. It captures a snapshot of hardware state and logs, then provides a permanent URL to view the probe. If a device lacks a driver, it can suggest a Linux kernel version or third-party driver using LKDDb data. Users can create an inventory ID and mark probes to locate their computers on Linux-Hardware.org. Its monitoring command schedules a daily cron probe and emails alerts about operating-system failures, configuration changes, and hardware degradation. Optional tests check graphics, drive read speed, CPU performance, and RAM. Installation options include AppImage, Docker, Snap, Flatpak, Live CD/USB, and native packages. Uploads use HTTPS; selected logs can be disabled, and private details are decorated before upload, though edge-case failures are acknowledged. MAC addresses and serial numbers are represented by prefixes of salted SHA-512 hashes. The tool is dual-licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later and BSD-4-Clause. The Snap package runs in a sandbox with limited functionality.