head to head · open source
NetData vs auto-cpufreq
NetData has 80,564 GitHub stars, 6,630 forks, 393 open issues and last shipped today. auto-cpufreq has 7,760 stars, 356 forks, 79 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. NetData leads on adoption by 938% (80,564 vs 7,760 stars). NetData is written in Go under GPL-3.0; auto-cpufreq is written in Python under GPL-3.0. NetData has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, auto-cpufreq 5%. NetData was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (linux), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| NetData | auto-cpufreq | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 81K | ★ 7.8K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.6K | ⑂ 356 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick NetData if
- You weight community size — 81K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick auto-cpufreq if
- You want the auto-cpufreq feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and auto-cpufreq fits your workflow better
About NetData
Netdata is an open source, real time infrastructure monitoring platform written in Go and released under GPL 3.0, built for operators and lean teams who need per second visibility across Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Windows systems.
read the full NetData overview →
About auto-cpufreq
auto cpufreq is a GPL 3.0 Python daemon and command line tool that watches a Linux laptop's battery state, CPU usage, CPU temperature, and system load, then adjusts CPU frequency and power settings automatically for users who want longer battery life without giving up responsiveness.
read the full auto-cpufreq overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NetData or auto-cpufreq more popular?
NetData has 80,564 GitHub stars and auto-cpufreq has 7,760. NetData has the larger community by that measure.
Are NetData and auto-cpufreq free?
Both are open source. NetData is licensed under GPL-3.0 and auto-cpufreq under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between NetData and auto-cpufreq?
NetData is written in Go and auto-cpufreq in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, NetData or auto-cpufreq?
Choose NetData if you want the larger community (80,564 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose auto-cpufreq if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.