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HWiNFO Review

Worth it

Should I use HWiNFO?

Not disclosed - hwinfo.com

· 1 month ago

Buy if you're a PC enthusiast, builder, or gamer who wants the deepest free hardware monitoring on Windows. Skip it if you want one simple readout, a Mac/Linux option, or free commercial use.

Confidence

High. Based on 14+ public sources including G2, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD, Tom's Hardware, and Reddit.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support-quality evidence found in sources.
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
ProNot published in sources

Best for

  • Overclockers and PC builders
  • Gamers tracking temps and FPS
  • Tech reviewers benchmarking thermals
  • IT techs auditing hardware

Not for

  • Casual users wanting one simple temperature readout
  • Mac or Linux users — Windows-only app
  • Businesses expecting free commercial use
  • Anyone needing built-in benchmarking tools

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

2018 kernel-driver vulnerabilities on record; run the latest version

medium

Free shared-memory integrations (Stream Deck, overlays) stop after 12 hours per session

medium

Freeware license covers non-commercial use only; businesses need paid licenses

low

Pro pricing not published upfront; multi-year terms discount 50–60%

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free for non-commercial use
  • Called one of the most comprehensive system monitors
  • Enthusiast PSA recommends it over HWMonitor
  • Quickly adds new sensors, e.g. RTX 50 hotspot temps
  • Used by NASA, per official site

Cons

  • Users call HWiNFO Pro too expensive
  • Shared memory limited to 12 hours on free tier
  • Lacks benchmarking tools, per PCMag
  • 2.7/5 overall rating on WorthEpenny
  • Windows-only; no native Mac or Linux app

Sources & method

- 10 sources - Two 2018 kernel-driver CVEs on record; no vendor security page; not the developer hit in the CPUID supply-chain attack.

official x3review x4security x2news x1
  • CVE-2018-8061, Buffer overflow / memory corruption in the HWiNFO AMD64 kernel driver.
  • CVE-2018-8060, HWiNFO AMD64 kernel driver vulnerability listed in CVE databases.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 4/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 4/5. Core is free; Pro pricing draws complaints.
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Guess: dense sensor panels overwhelm casual users.
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Most comprehensive coverage; adds FPS and new-GPU sensors.
  • Support quality. No support-quality evidence found in sources.
  • Security posture: 2/5. 2018 kernel-driver CVEs; no published security page.
  • 4/5 Trustpilot rating Trustpilot reviews
  • Yes Free tier Non-commercial use only
  • $301.3K Projected revenue This year, per Crunchbase
  • 46th Market rank Of 218 competitors, per Tracxn

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Full hardware info and sensors
  • Non-commercial use only
  • 12-hour shared-memory cap

Pro

Not published in sources

  • Commercial-use licensing
  • Unlimited shared-memory integration
  • 1–3 year terms with 50–60% discounts

Security

Two 2018 kernel-driver CVEs on record; no vendor security page; not the developer hit in the CPUID supply-chain attack.

  • CVE-2018-8061Buffer overflow / memory corruption in the HWiNFO AMD64 kernel driver.⁸
  • CVE-2018-8060HWiNFO AMD64 kernel driver vulnerability listed in CVE databases.

What users say

Enthusiasts widely praise HWiNFO as the most complete sensor monitor, while hobbyists gripe about Pro pricing and the free tier's 12-hour integration cap.

“HWINFO Pro is too expensive, but i want monitor my ...”
Reddit, r/StreamDeckSDK
“Shared memory support now works only 12 hours(”
Reddit, r/StreamDeckSDK
“Lacks benchmarking tools.”
PCMag review

Alternatives

Compare HWiNFO with each alternative.

  • CPU-Z

    Simpler CPU and hardware info viewer.

  • HWMonitor

    Simpler sensor monitor; hurt by 2026 supply-chain attack.

    HWiNFO vs HWMonitor

  • AIDA64

    Paid suite adding the benchmarks HWiNFO lacks.

Companies that use it

Full analysis

Based on 14+ public sources including G2, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD, Tom's Hardware, and Reddit.

Deepest free Windows sensor monitor; great for enthusiasts, with a Pro paywall and 12-hour integration cap.

Methodology

Based on 14+ public sources including G2, Trustpilot, PCMag, NVD, Tom's Hardware, and Reddit.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. HWiNFO official sitehwinfo.com
    official
  2. HWiNFO Licenseshwinfo.com
    official
  3. HWiNFO Downloadhwinfo.com
    official
  4. G2 reviewsg2.com
    review
  5. Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  6. Realix HWiNFO64 Review — PCMagpcmag.com
    review
  7. Reddit r/StreamDeckSDK Pro pricing threadreddit.com
    review
  8. CVE-2018-8061 — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  9. CPUID supply-chain attack — BleepingComputerbleepingcomputer.com
    security
  10. HWiNFO FPS reporting — Tom's Hardwaretomshardware.com
    news

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