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Dust vs Procs: Which is Better in 2026?

Choosing between Dust and Procs comes down to understanding what each tool does best. This comparison breaks down the key differences so you can make an informed decision based on your specific needs, not marketing claims.

Bottom line: Dust wins this matchup. Podman is our overall Terminal Tools pick. Podman is our free Terminal Tools pick. Pick Procs if you need a fully free option.

··Methodology
Editor reviewed0 verified reviews comparedPricing checked Oct 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

We've tested both tools. Here's who should pick what:

Dust

An intuitive command-line tool for visualizing disk usage in Rust.

Best for you if:

  • • You want more intuitive and visually appealing than 'du'
  • • You want quickly identifies disk space hogs

Procs

A modern, Rust-based replacement for the 'ps' command with enhanced features and readability.

Best for you if:

  • • You want more informative and visually appealing than 'ps'
  • • You want cross-platform compatibility (Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD)
At a Glance
DustDust
ProcsProcs
Starts at
FreeFree tier available
FreeFree tier available
Best For
Terminal ToolsTerminal Tools
Rating
--
Free plan
Yes Yes

Choose Dust or Procs?

Dust

Choose Dust if

An intuitive command-line tool for visualizing disk usage in Rust.

  • You want more intuitive and visually appealing than 'du'
  • You want quickly identifies disk space hogs
Procs

Choose Procs if

A modern, Rust-based replacement for the 'ps' command with enhanced features and readability.

  • You want more informative and visually appealing than 'ps'
  • You want cross-platform compatibility (Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD)
FeatureDustProcs
Pricing ModelFreeFree
User RatingNo ratings yetNo ratings yet
Categories
Terminal ToolsFile Management
Terminal ToolsDeveloper Tools

In-Depth Analysis

DustDust

An intuitive command-line tool for visualizing disk usage in Rust.

Starts at Free
Great value

Dust's pricing is exceptionally generous, as it is entirely free and open-source.

Strengths

  • +More intuitive and visually appealing than 'du'
  • +Quickly identifies disk space hogs
  • +No need for additional sorting or filtering commands
  • +Highly configurable with numerous options
  • +Available on multiple platforms (Cargo, Homebrew, Snap, Anaconda, Scoop, etc.)

Weaknesses

  • -Snap version has limited file access (only /home directory)
  • -Requires Rust for compilation if not using pre-built binaries

Key features

Hierarchical disk usage visualization with colored barsDisplays largest subdirectories and filesOption to show full path of subdirectoriesApparent size vs. disk space usage displayFilter by number of directories shownSpecify recursion depth for subdirectories

ProcsProcs

A modern, Rust-based replacement for the 'ps' command with enhanced features and readability.

Starts at Free
Great value

The pricing for Procs is exceptionally generous, as it is entirely free and open source.

Strengths

  • +More informative and visually appealing than 'ps'
  • +Cross-platform compatibility (Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD)
  • +Easy installation via various package managers
  • +Provides additional insights like network and I/O usage
  • +Open-source and actively maintained

Weaknesses

  • -Requires sudo for full information access on other users' processes
  • -Docker Toolbox on macOS not supported for container name display
  • -macOS support is experimental and primarily tested on GitHub Actions

Key features

Colored and human-readable outputAutomatic theme detection based on terminal backgroundMulti-column keyword searchDisplay of TCP/UDP port informationDisplay of Read/Write throughputDisplay of Docker container names

Pricing: Dust vs Procs

PlanDustProcs
Tier 1
Free
Open Source
Free
Open Source

Pricing verified from each vendor's public pricing page. Compare in detail on Dust pricing and Procs pricing.

Who Should Use What?

On a budget?

Both are free. Compare plans on their websites.

Go with: Dust

Want the highest-rated option?

Neither has ratings yet.

Too early to call on ratings, compare on features and pricing.

Value user reviews?

Neither has ratings yet.

Too early to call, neither has ratings yet.

3 Questions to Help You Decide

1

What's your budget?

Both are free. Pricing won't help you decide here.

2

What's your use case?

Both are terminal tools tools. Compare their specific features to decide.

3

How important are ratings?

Neither has ratings yet.

Key Takeaways

Dust

  • Completely free
  • Our pick for this comparison

Procs

  • Choose if you want a modern, Rust-based replacement for the 'ps' command with enhanced features and readability

The Bottom Line

Dust wins this matchup. Podman is our overall Terminal Tools pick. Podman is our free Terminal Tools pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dust or Procs better?

Dust is rated in our evaluation. Both are free.

What are Dust and Procs used for?

Dust: An intuitive command-line tool for visualizing disk usage in Rust.. Procs: A modern, Rust-based replacement for the 'ps' command with enhanced features and readability..

What does Dust cost vs Procs?

Dust is completely free. Procs is completely free. Visit their websites for detailed pricing.

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