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Utilities · head to head

HWiNFO vs PeaZip

HWiNFO logo

HWiNFO

Utilities

Windows hardware information and sensor monitoring tool, free for personal use only

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
PeaZip logo

PeaZip

Utilities

Open-source archive manager for Windows and Linux supporting more than two hundred formats

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HWiNFO the free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.; PeaZip there is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • They diverge on capability: HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, PeaZip covers Wide format support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HWiNFO and PeaZip actually diverge.

Attributes where HWiNFO and PeaZip differ
AttributeHWiNFOPeaZip
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindowsWindows, Linux, BSD

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HWiNFO

  • Sensor coverage
  • Hardware inventory
  • Logging
  • Shared memory interface
  • Alerts
  • Portable build

Only in PeaZip

  • Wide format support
  • Strong encryption
  • Secure delete
  • Checksums and hashes
  • Split and join
  • Portable builds

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HWiNFO

  • Diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloadsnot PeaZip
  • Validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurablenot PeaZip
  • Logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crashnot PeaZip
  • Confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of themnot PeaZip

PeaZip

  • Opening old or unusual archive formats that current tools refusenot HWiNFO
  • Sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a passwordnot HWiNFO
  • Deploying one archiver across Windows and Linux desktops with the same interface and behaviournot HWiNFO
  • Running from a USB stick on machines where software cannot be installednot HWiNFO

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HWiNFO

  • The free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.
  • It is Windows only, so mixed estates need a separate tool for macOS and Linux hardware diagnostics.
  • It reports single machines rather than fleets, with no central console, so it answers a diagnostic question instead of monitoring an estate.
  • The volume of sensors displayed is overwhelming without hardware knowledge, and readings with similar names measure genuinely different things, which leads to wrong conclusions.
  • Sensor access requires a kernel-level driver and administrator rights, which anti-cheat systems and some hardened endpoint configurations block outright.

PeaZip

  • There is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • It is effectively a single-maintainer project, and for software deployed to every desktop in a company that concentration of risk deserves an explicit decision.
  • The interface exposes a great many options at once and looks dated next to the system archiver, which generates support questions from non-technical users.
  • Bundled backend binaries sometimes trigger antivirus heuristics on managed Windows fleets, so deployment usually needs an allowlist entry prepared in advance.
  • Its own PEA and ARC formats are not readable by other tools, so using them for anything you send externally creates a dependency for the recipient.

Pricing, plan by plan

HWiNFO

Free
  • HWiNFO PersonalFree
    • Full sensor and hardware detail
    • Logging and alerts
    • Personal, non-commercial use only
  • HWiNFO Pro$undefined/year
    • Licence required for any business or commercial use
    • Per-seat licensing
    • Priority support

PeaZip

Free
  • PeaZipFree
    • LGPLv3 licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • All formats and encryption features included

Which should you pick?

Choose HWiNFO if

  • You need sensor coverage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want hardware inventory.
HWiNFO review

Choose PeaZip if

  • You need wide format support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, BSD.
  • You also want strong encryption.
PeaZip review

Questions people ask

Is HWiNFO or PeaZip better?
Neither clearly leads. HWiNFO starts at Free and PeaZip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HWiNFO or PeaZip?
HWiNFO starts at Free and PeaZip at Free.
Does HWiNFO or PeaZip run on more platforms?
HWiNFO runs on Windows. PeaZip runs on Windows, Linux, BSD.
Can I use HWiNFO for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is HWiNFO best used for?
HWiNFO is most often used for diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloads, validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurable, logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crash, confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of them. Of those, diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloads and validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurable are not what PeaZip is typically brought in for.
What can HWiNFO do that PeaZip cannot?
HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Hardware inventory, Logging, Shared memory interface. PeaZip covers Wide format support, Strong encryption, Secure delete, Checksums and hashes.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HWiNFO: Can I use the free version at work?

No. Free use is personal only. Any business use, including internal IT diagnostics, requires the paid licence.

PeaZip: Is PeaZip free for business use?

Yes. It is LGPLv3 licensed with no personal-use restriction and no paid edition.

HWiNFO: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. It is Windows only; the older DOS builds are discontinued.

PeaZip: Does it work on macOS?

No supported build is offered. Mac users need a different archiver.

HWiNFO: Why do temperatures differ from the motherboard utility?

Because vendor tools usually show one averaged figure while HWiNFO reports each sensor separately. The difference is labelling and selection, not accuracy.

PeaZip: How does it differ from 7-Zip?

It uses similar backends but adds far wider format support, a password manager, keyfile two-factor encryption, secure deletion and a graphical front end that also runs on Linux.

HWiNFO: Is it safe to run alongside other monitoring tools?

Usually, but several tools polling the same sensors through their own drivers can cause conflicts and bad readings. Run one at a time when the numbers look wrong.

PeaZip: Should I use the PEA format?

Only for your own storage. Nothing else reads it, so anything sent to another party should be 7z or ZIP with AES-256.

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