Fan Control vs SpeedFan (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Fan Control grades higher than SpeedFan: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fan Control grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Fan Control if
- Fits if you want to tune fan noise against temperature on a Windows PC
- Works for people who want one curve fed by several sensors
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux machine, since it is Windows only
- Skip it if you want hands-off setup, as each fan needs a curve
- Watch out: versions 237 and earlier shipped a driver Windows Defender flagged as a trojan; V238 and later use PawnIO
- Watch out: hardware support requests are not handled on the release repository
Pick SpeedFan if
- Fits if your PC is older and has a monitor chip it recognises
- Works for people who want disk health and temperatures in one window
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your PC is new, as the page shows 4.52 with a copyright of 2000 to 2020
- Not for you if you run Windows 11, which the page does not mention
- Too light for fans it cannot see: control works only with supported chips
- Watch out: nothing on the page shows recent updates, so support for new hardware may be limited
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFan ControlGood | 2.6GPASpeedFanGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree to use, with the full program and optional donations by PayPal and Stripe. | AFree to download and use, with a PayPal donation link. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe full program is free with no cap or trial clock. | AThe full program is free with no cap or trial clock. |
| Features | BSeven curve types, mixed curves, fine-grained parameters, plug-ins and wide hardware support. The listing names no gap in the core job. | CSensor readings, fan control, disk health and RAID support. Fan control works only with monitor chips it supports, and the 2020 copyright suggests newer hardware may be missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. Fan curves have to be set up per fan and tested, so there is some learning curve. | CNo store rating is on record. Fan control means matching chips and setting speeds by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, Windows 10 and 11 per the release page. No Mac, Linux or phone version. | DWindows only, from Windows 9x through Windows 10 and Server 2012. Windows 11 is not mentioned. |
| Best for | setting fan curves on a Windows PC | reading fan and temperature chips on older Windows PCs |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fan Control and SpeedFan. How we grade
Price against what you get
Fan Control has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SpeedFan has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
Fan Control scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Fan Control for less, and none scores higher than SpeedFan for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planWindowsWorkflow automationSystem monitor
At a glance
| Fan Control | SpeedFan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Free to use; the maker accepts optional donations through PayPal and Stripe. | Free to download and use; the site takes PayPal donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Rémi Mercier | Alfredo Milani Comparetti |
| Price read from | getfancontrol.com | almico.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Fan Control
- Windows only; the maker's release page lists Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Versions 237 and earlier shipped a driver that Windows Defender flagged as a trojan; V238 and later ship a PawnIO build instead.
- Hardware support requests are not handled on the release repository; new hardware needs a working .NET code sample.
SpeedFan
- Windows only; the page lists versions from Windows 9x through Windows 10 and Server 2012 and does not mention Windows 11.
- The vendor's site shows 4.52 with a copyright of 2000-2020, so support for newer hardware may be limited.
- Fan control works only with hardware monitor chips it supports.
Key features
Fan Control
- Fan curves
- Seven curve types and multiple saved configurations, with temperature tray icons and assisted setup for new users.
- Mixed curves
- Combine any number of fan curves bound to different temperature sensors and apply a function such as maximum or average to drive a fan.
- Fine-grained parameters
- Set fan calibration, RPM avoid zones, response time, hysteresis, step up and step down, and control start and stop logic for 0 RPM operation where supported.
- Wide hardware support
- Covers CPU, GPU and case fans across a range of motherboards, GPUs and AIOs, built on the LibreHardwareMonitor backend.
- Plug-ins
- A .NET plug-in system lets third parties add temperature, speed or control sensors by dropping a DLL in the plugin folder.
SpeedFan
- Sensor readings
- Reads motherboard, CPU, per-core, chipset and nVidia video card temperatures, along with voltages and the speed of each fan.
- Fan speed control
- Changes fan speeds according to current temperatures to reduce noise, with custom events for handling situations automatically.
- Disk health
- Shows S.M.A.R.T. and SCSI attributes and disk temperatures, and compares SMART data to a model built from reports.
- RAID support
- Reads SMART data through software RAID from Windows and through ARECA, CSMI and AMCC 3ware controllers.
- Wide hardware support
- The 4.52 release notes add IPMI support and a list of motherboard chips and SMBus controllers.
Plans
Fan Control
Free$0
The full program; donations are optional and fund continued development.
SpeedFan
Free$0
The full program; the download page says it costs nothing and offers a donation link.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fan Control or SpeedFan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Fan Control and SpeedFan are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Fan Control or SpeedFan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Fan Control and SpeedFan have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.