GNOME System Monitor vs Net Meter: is it a good Linux alternative?

GNOME System Monitor as a Linux alternative to Net Meter

Updated October 18, 2026

Our verdict

GNOME System Monitor is not a good replacement for Net Meter. It shows a network activity overview but lacks real‑time per‑interface upload/download counters, total data transferred, and detailed active connection lists. It is useful for users who only need a quick glance at overall network usage or want to keep everything inside the GNOME desktop, but it does not satisfy the core needs of Net Meter users.

Feature parity30%

License: GPL-2.0
Price: Free
Latest version: 51.1
Rating: 5/5 (1)

Install GNOME System Monitor Website ↗

What works the same

Both run on Linux and Windows respectively
Both provide a GUI that shows network activity
Both can be launched from the system menu or panel
Both are lightweight compared to full‑featured network managers

What is different

GNOME System Monitor shows only an aggregated network graph, not per‑interface stats
It does not display total data transferred or per‑connection details
No system tray icon or persistent panel widget
GNOME System Monitor is part of the GNOME desktop, not a standalone utility
It lacks the ability to export or import Net Meter configuration files

Opening your Net Meter files

GNOME System Monitor cannot open or export Net Meter files; Net Meter uses a proprietary .nmt file format that is not supported by GNOME System Monitor. Users would need to manually note settings or use a third‑party conversion tool if available.

Switching from Net Meter to GNOME System Monitor, step by step

Close Net Meter on the Windows machine.
Install GNOME System Monitor via your distribution’s package manager (e.g., sudo apt install gnome-system-monitor).
Launch GNOME System Monitor from the Activities overview or application menu.
Open the "Network" tab to view the overall traffic graph; note that per‑interface details are not available.

Key features of GNOME System Monitor

List all running processes with CPU and memory usage
Sort processes by name, PID, user, or resource consumption
View detailed information for a specific process
End or kill running processes
Monitor system-wide CPU and memory load
Display system uptime and load average
Show network activity overview
Integrate with GNOME desktop environment

How to install GNOME System Monitor on Linux

Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install gnome-system-monitor

Debiansudo apt install gnome-system-monitor

Fedorasudo dnf install gnome-system-monitor

Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S gnome-system-monitor

openSUSEsudo zypper install gnome-system-monitor

Rate GNOME System Monitor

5.0 · 1 votes

Is it a good replacement for Net Meter? 6