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TAU Performance System vs perf: catalog facts
TAU Performance System	perf
Free Available to download from the University of Oregon research site.	Free Free and open source as part of the Linux kernel.
macOS	Linux, Command line
Supports many languages used in scientific computing Several instrumentation methods, from automatic to manual	Uses hardware performance counters and kernel tracepoints Profiles both the whole system and single processes
Aimed at HPC specialists with a steep learning curve Academic website with dated presentation	Linux only Command-line output takes practice to interpret
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Closed source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.