hotspot
A standalone GUI for visualizing and analyzing Linux perf data, featuring flame graphs, timeline filtering, and off-CPU profiling.
What is hotspot?
Hotspot is a standalone GUI application for performance analysis on Linux, specifically designed to visualize and explore data recorded with the Linux `perf` tool. It transforms raw perf output into interactive flame graphs, timeline views, and detailed call stacks, helping developers identify bottlenecks and optimize their applications. The tool also supports advanced features like off-CPU profiling and embedded system analysis.
Linux developers, performance engineers, and system analysts who need to profile and optimize applications using Linux perf but prefer a graphical interface over command-line tools.
Hotspot provides an intuitive and feature-rich GUI that makes Linux perf data accessible without sacrificing depth, offering unique capabilities like integrated off-CPU profiling, timeline filtering, and support for embedded systems—all as a free, open-source alternative to proprietary profiling tools.
Overview
The Linux perf GUI for performance analysis.
Use Cases
Best For
- Visualizing Linux perf data with interactive flame graphs
- Analyzing wait-time and off-CPU performance issues
- Profiling applications on embedded Linux systems
- Debugging performance bottlenecks in multi-threaded applications
- Sharing perf data with colleagues in a self-contained format
- Learning and teaching Linux performance analysis concepts
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring advanced perf features like --itrace or --branch-stack for memory or branch analysis
- Projects needing stable, interoperable data export formats for collaboration with other tools
- Environments limited to command-line interfaces, such as headless servers without GUI access
- Users who prioritize real-time, interactive profiling over post-recording analysis
Pros & Cons
Pros
Provides clickable flame graphs that visually map call stacks, making it easier to identify bottlenecks compared to perf's textual output, as shown in the screenshots.
Supports wait-time profiling through kernel tracepoints like sched:sched_switch, enabling detection of I/O, lock contention, and other delays not visible in on-CPU data.
Allows analysis of perf data from embedded devices by using --sysroot and --kallsyms options, facilitating cross-platform debugging without needing the target system.
Enables filtering by time, process, or thread to focus on specific execution segments, with real-time updates to data views for targeted optimization.
Cons
Lacks support for key perf options like --itrace, --mem-mode, and --branch-stack, which limits its depth for specialized profiling scenarios compared to command-line perf.
The .perfparser export format is version-specific, meaning data saved by one Hotspot version cannot be read by another, hindering collaboration and long-term use.
Requires manual specification of debug paths and libraries via CLI options when symbols are missing, which can be error-prone and time-consuming for complex setups.
Needs additional libraries like librustc_demangle for proper Rust symbol demangling, adding installation steps and potential compatibility issues.
Open Source Alternative To
hotspot is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Qt Creator CPU Usage Analyzer is a profiling tool integrated into Qt Creator IDE that helps developers analyze CPU performance and identify bottlenecks in their applications.
KCachegrind is a visualization tool for profiling data generated by Valgrind's Callgrind tool, used to analyze program performance and call graphs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
bccBCC - Tools for BPF-based Linux IO analysis, networking, monitoring, and more
FlameGraphStack trace visualizer
tracyFrame profiler
sanitizerAddressSanitizer, ThreadSanitizer, MemorySanitizer
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