bottom
A customizable terminal process and system monitor with graphs for CPU, memory, network, and disks.
- Stars
- 14.1k
- Forks
- 402
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Rust
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- CLI
What it is
bottom (command: btm) is a program you run in a terminal to watch what your computer is doing. It shows live graphs and tables for CPU, memory, network, disk, temperature, and battery, plus a list of running processes you can sort, search, and stop. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is inspired by tools like htop and gtop.
- Watch CPU usage per core and memory use over time in one screen
- Search the process list and send a kill signal to a frozen program
- Check disk capacity and network traffic while a build or download runs
- Switch to a simpler htop-like basic mode for a compact view
Great for
- People who like watching system activity from a terminal instead of a graphical window
- Developers and sysadmins who work over SSH on servers
- Users who want to customize which panels appear and how they are laid out
- People looking for a htop-style tool with graphs over time
Not ideal for
- People who prefer a regular point-and-click desktop app, since it is terminal-only
- Users on unofficially supported platforms who need guaranteed support, since the README says those may have limited support
- Anyone who needs deep diagnostics beyond what the README describes; it is a monitor, not a profiler
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Rust toolchain (for the cargo install route)
Install from crates.io with Cargo
cargo install bottom --locked - 2
Run it
- Open a terminal after installing
- Type btm and press Enter
- Use the arrow keys or mouse to move between widgets
- Check the documentation at https://bottom.pages.dev for keyboard controls
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use --theme to pick a built-in colour theme, as shown in the demo with gruvbox
- Use the basic mode for a compact htop-like view
- Save custom layout and widget settings in a config file
- Install shell completions from the Pre-built binaries section of the README
Downloads
Strengths
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows with official support listed in the README
- Customizable layout, colour themes, and command-line or config-file options
- Widely available through many package managers, including Homebrew, Scoop, and winget
Trade-offs
- Terminal-only interface, so it needs a terminal and some comfort with keyboard controls
- Some sensor data such as temperature depends on the operating system and hardware, which the README does not detail further
- The README is truncated here, so some platform-specific details are not confirmed
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bottom (this) | 14.1k | CLI | beginner | 4 days ago | People who like watching system activity from a terminal instead of a graphical window |
| Terminal.Gui | 11.3k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | C# / .NET developers building terminal tools with forms, tables or menus |
| ctop | 17.8k | CLI | beginner | 2.3 years ago | Developers running several Docker containers locally who want a quick overview of resource use |
| jcode | 21.4k | CLI | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want several AI coding agents working on one repo at the same time |
| gh-dash | 12.7k | CLI | intermediate | 10 days ago | Developers who spend most of their day in the terminal |
| yazi | 43.2k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | People who already spend time in a terminal and want a faster way to browse folders |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.