# Core Temp review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Per-core CPU temperature monitor for Windows PCs Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Core Temp is a small Windows program that reads the digital thermal sensor on each core of Intel, AMD and VIA x86 processors and shows temperature, load and other processor details. It supports plug-ins, and businesses buy a per-machine commercial license. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** Alcpu - **Website:** https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ - **Runs on:** Windows - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want to set fan speeds, since it only reports. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Core Temp has a free plan, and paid plans start at $25 per machine (commercial license). - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **Free plan:** The program is offered for download without a price; the vendor sells a separate commercial license for businesses. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Standard download | $0 | Download and install or use the standalone zip; the vendor states no price for it. | | Commercial license | $25 per physical machine, one license each | For businesses; falls to $20 each for 2 to 9, $12 for 50 to 99, $6 for 500 to 999; ordered by email. | Read from https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/commercial.html on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Core Temp before buying. ## Key features - **Per-core temperatures:** Shows the temperature of each individual core of every processor, read from the CPU's digital thermal sensor instead of a motherboard sensor. - **Real-time readings:** Displays temperature changes live as the workload varies, with processor load and other vital information alongside. - **Broad CPU support:** Supports Intel, AMD and VIA x86 processors; the vendor publishes a list of supported processors. - **Plug-in platform:** Developers can add features through plug-ins, and the vendor hosts add-ons such as a gadget for Windows 7 and Vista. - **Installer or standalone:** Ships as an installer and as standalone 32-bit and 64-bit zip files, with language packs for over 30 languages. ## Good for - Checking CPU core temperatures on a Windows PC - Lightweight monitoring that runs in the notification area - Businesses that need a licensed per-machine option ## Worth knowing - Windows only, on x86 Intel, AMD or VIA processors. - It reports processor data only; it does not control fans. - Companies need a commercial license, one per physical machine, ordered by email. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Core Temp reads the temperature sensor on each core of Intel, AMD and VIA x86 processors and shows temperature and load. It does only that, on Windows only, and businesses must buy a $25 per-machine license. - **Value for money: A.** The download has no price. Businesses buy a commercial license at $25 per machine, falling to $6 each at 500 to 999 machines. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The program is offered for download with no price and no trial clock. Only businesses are asked to buy. - **Features: C.** Per-core temperatures, live readings, plug-ins and a standalone zip. It does that one job fully, but it is a smaller job: it reports processor data only and does not control fans. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating is on record, but it is a small program you install and start using with nothing to set up. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Windows only, on x86 Intel, AMD or VIA processors. No Mac, Linux or phone version. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Alcpu's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - Core Temp's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 116 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 37. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 107 of 186) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Your call.** It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon. You could make the core of Core Temp for yourself: reports. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. - You could make: Reports: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: Readings from inside the operating system. - You could not: A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** System monitor, Reports ## Alternatives - [HWiNFO](https://toolgpa.com/tools/hwinfo): Windows hardware information and real-time sensor monitoring. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/core-temp-vs-hwinfo) - [CPU-Z](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cpu-z): Free Windows tool that lists CPU, mainboard and memory details. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/core-temp-vs-cpu-z) - [SpeedFan](https://toolgpa.com/tools/speedfan): Free Windows monitor for temperatures, fan speeds and voltages. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/core-temp-vs-speedfan) - [Fan Control](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fan-control): Free fan curve controller for Windows PCs. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/core-temp-vs-fan-control) - [iStat Menus](https://toolgpa.com/tools/istat-menus): System monitor that lives in the Mac menu bar. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/core-temp-vs-istat-menus) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/ - https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/commercial.html - https://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/terms.html Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/core-temp Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).