Instruments

What hackers pick instead

• perfFree Linux profiler that people rely on to find where code spends its time, and to build intuition for CPU performance. Its output is raw, and it expects you to already understand the OS.13recommend
• Java Flight RecorderPeople recommend it as a free, low-overhead profiler and telemetry tool for diagnosing Java performance and memory problems, including in production. No critic in these quotes names a caveat.10recommend
• PerfettoFree tool that spares you building your own trace viewer. Critics say it is less seamless than chrome://tracing.8recommend
• Python 3.15 sampling profilerBuilt into Python 3.15, it gives sampling profiling with strong reporting and a live mode. Critics note it cannot be switched on and off from code.6recommend
• HeaptrackFree memory profiler that shows where a program allocates memory and whether allocations leak, recommended for finding performance problems.5recommend

Every quote

The 12 most detailed of 13 comments. Each links to the original.

1. their UI is almost always the best for actually finding what the problem is

   Mixed · Nov 2025

2. Instruments 26 has been nice for finding performance bottlenecks

   Recommends · Apr 2026 · in “Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman”

3. Instruments has exceptionally good UI for its tools

   Mixed · Feb 2026 · in “Why E cores make Apple Silicon fast”

4. Apple Instruments is so good at what it does

   Recommends · Nov 2025

5. Instruments is quite great though

   Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Linux on the Fujitsu Lifebook U729”

6. That app is incredibly good

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Swift is a more convenient Rust”

7. Your second example, is the complaint that Instruments doesn't have flamegraph visualization? That was true a decade ago when it was written, and is not true today.

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Why E cores make Apple Silicon fast”

8. Perf, instruments and UIForETW are simple enough to use that anyone who can follow the instructions

   Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Profiling with Ctrl-C”

9. It’s not exactly the same, but it comes close.

   Recommends · Feb 2026 · in “Swift is a more convenient Rust”

10. Instruments tells you these days

    Recommends · Aug 2026 · in “SwiftUI After 7 Years: A Story of Mediocrity”

11. They could open up the instruments format while they are at it for the same reason, do they really gain anything by making it proprietary?

    Criticizes · Feb 2026 · in “Xcode 26.3 unlocks the power of agentic coding”

12. So far I have provided you with examples of how Instruments.app loses to perf.

    Criticizes · Feb 2026 · in “Why E cores make Apple Silicon fast”