There are many Task Manager alternatives out there, and I’ve used all the relevant ones, including Process Lasso, Process Explorer, and System Informer, but by far, my favorite is Task Manager DeLuxe. Here’s why this complex Task Manager replacement blew my mind, and I’m still using it.

Everything you need is in the main window

A real powerhouse at hand

In my opinion, Task Manager DeLuxe has the best main window of any task management tool out there. Besides the usual process data like CPU, memory usage, threads, and handles, you get network usage and even information about when the last shutdown and boot occurred.

Then, all the data is structured into clear tabs for management categories like services, network, GPU, and performance. You can also click on any process, service, or component to get detailed information about it in a pop-up window.

Moreover, you can configure the interface with the columns of data you actually need. For instance, you can create a column to see the average CPU usage for a process if you want to monitor it. Filtering the processes and services is also available right from the main window.

You get more information than with other task managers

The Autoruns tab was a great surprise

If you just need CPU and memory consumption data, you will be fine with any task management tool, even with Windows’ default app. However, if you’re looking to troubleshoot your device and optimize its performance, Task Manager DeLuxe has everything you need.

For instance, if you open the Autoruns tab, you will find many more apps and services that are running automatically at startup than the ones shown in Task Manager. You can even see and stop the auto-update processes of some apps, which is remarkable.

Another feature I didn’t see on other task management apps is the Machine Journal. You can access it from the main window or the performance tab by clicking on the date and time. It will reveal all your system's important events, such as logins, system updates, and more.

Kill processes aggressively

That’s a nice option to have

A few times, I’ve had problems killing processes using Task Manager due to unknown reasons. In contrast, Task Manager DeLuxe has an option to terminate the process called Aggressive kill. That not only suggests imminent termination, but it hasalso worked all the times I’ve used it against the most stubborn processes.

Besides that, the task management app also highlights any issues with any process by highlighting it in red on the list. Task Manager DeLuxe also comes with the options to restart and suspend a process, which you won’t find in Task Manager.

Lastly, when you right-click a process from the list, you also have the option to search for it on Google. This is extremely useful for finding more information or locating a common problem with a certain process.

Here’s what’s really annoying about Task Manager DeLuxe

A few problems need to be fixed

Task Manager DeLuxe might be my favorite, but it certainly has its shortcomings. The most annoying of all is that you simply can’t order the processes based on their CPU or RAM usage. Usually, all the task management tools have that option on the table headers, but this app doesn’t have it. It’s a basic and useful option, so that’s a major caveat.

Another major problem is that although it doesn’t consume too many resources, it causes some other apps to freeze when switching from one to another. It didn’t bother me too much because I don’t keep it open all the time. This probably has to do with the fact that it constantly updates all the data from its interface, but it can still be an issue.

It manages your OS and driver updates

You wouldn’t expect it from a task manager tool

Although it has some shortcomings, Task Manager DeLuxe also surprised me with a feature I wasn’t looking for in a task management app: an OS and driver update tool. I found it recently because you can access it by clicking on a tiny yellow shield icon at the top of the interface that you can easily miss.

Anyway, in the Windows Updates window, you will find all the available updates and even optional drivers and firmware. It also pulls the update history from the system, so you can check it without going through the Settings menu.

Don’t get too excited about driver updates because the app only brings up the ones that come from Windows Update, but it’s still great.

Task Manager DeLuxe is definitely worth a try

If you're used to Windows' default tool, Task Manager DeLuxe may be overwhelming. It brings up a ton of information that you might not need, but then again, you can set it up to show you the necessary data. Even so, it has a very friendly interface that anyone can use, and some helpful, unique features. The fact that you can't order the processes based on their resource consumption can be a deal-breaker, but you should at least give it a chance.