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Utilities · head to head

HWiNFO vs TreeSize

HWiNFO logo

HWiNFO

Utilities

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TreeSize logo

TreeSize

Utilities

Windows disk space analyser whose free edition may be used commercially, with paid tiers for scheduled reporting

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.; TreeSize it traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.
  • They diverge on capability: HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HWiNFO and TreeSize actually diverge.

Attributes where HWiNFO and TreeSize differ
AttributeHWiNFOTreeSize

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (quote), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), 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 TreeSize

  • Free edition licensed for business
  • Network share scanning
  • Reports by age and owner
  • Duplicate file search
  • Scheduled scans
  • Exports

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 TreeSize
  • Validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurablenot TreeSize
  • Logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crashnot TreeSize
  • Confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of themnot TreeSize

TreeSize

  • Deploying one free disk analyser across a company without a personal-use licence problemnot HWiNFO
  • Reporting on a file server by owner and file age before an archiving or quota decisionnot HWiNFO
  • Finding duplicate files spread across departmental network sharesnot HWiNFO
  • Producing a storage report for someone who will read a PDF but not run a scannot 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.

TreeSize

  • It traverses directories rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a local drive scan takes noticeably longer than the fastest alternatives.
  • It is Windows only, so file servers running Linux or a NAS appliance need a different tool or a share mounted from a Windows machine.
  • Useful features are spread across three paid tiers, so the single capability a buyer needs frequently sits two tiers above the one they were considering.
  • Scanning large network shares generates significant traffic and takes hours, which means it has to be scheduled rather than run when someone asks the question.
  • Pricing is per licence with separate maintenance, so an accurate total for a team requires a quote rather than a figure from the website.

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

TreeSize

Free
  • TreeSize FreeFree
    • Folder size analysis and treemap
    • Licensed for private and commercial use
    • Basic exports
  • TreeSize Personal, Professional and Enterprise$undefined/year
    • File search, duplicate detection and full exports
    • Network share and file server scanning
    • Scheduled unattended scans and stored reports

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 TreeSize if

  • You need free edition licensed for business.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want network share scanning.
TreeSize review

Questions people ask

Is HWiNFO or TreeSize better?
Neither clearly leads. HWiNFO starts at Free and TreeSize at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HWiNFO or TreeSize?
HWiNFO starts at Free and TreeSize at Free.
Does HWiNFO or TreeSize run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 TreeSize is typically brought in for.
What can HWiNFO do that TreeSize cannot?
HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Hardware inventory, Logging, Shared memory interface. TreeSize covers Free edition licensed for business, Network share scanning, Reports by age and owner, Duplicate file search.

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.

TreeSize: Is TreeSize Free really free for business use?

Yes. JAM Software licenses the free edition for private and commercial use, which is the main reason it appears on corporate machines where other free analysers are not permitted.

HWiNFO: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

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

TreeSize: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table; TreeSize walks the directory tree, which is slower but works on network shares and non-NTFS volumes.

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.

TreeSize: Can it scan a NAS or Linux file server?

It scans them as network shares over SMB, with the speed penalty that implies. There is no agent that runs on the server itself.

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.

TreeSize: What does the Enterprise tier add?

Scheduled unattended scans, stored historical results and reporting across servers, which is the difference between a cleanup tool and a storage reporting system.

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