Best FPS Counter Software for Windows

Video games run at a certain FPS rate (frames per second). Generally, the higher the frame rate, the better the graphic quality. In order to get high rendering speeds, you must have hardware that supports it, and it must be freed up for the game to use. In other words, your GPU should not be in use by other apps.

However, many factors can lower the visual performance of a game. If that’s the case, and you suspect it’s not as high as it should be, or it falls too often, you can add an FPS counter to monitor it.

Editor's Pick June 2026

Black Friday - 74% discount + 3 month's extra!

Get Deal

A Brief Overview of Display Performance Tools for Gamers

Frame rates indicate how smoothly your computer runs a game. Generally, the more frames per second, the more fluid the graphics appear. As such, frame rate monitors are a great way to inspect your hardware’s gaming performance.

Additionally, this data helps you troubleshoot your settings more effectively, allowing you to make system adjustments that boost the video rendering rate. Moreover, FPS counters can guide your monitor purchase decisions — if your graphics card isn’t very powerful, investing in an expensive, high-performance monitor may be unnecessary, as it would only use a fraction of its potential.

Beyond FPS, these counters often display other data, such as hardware stats for your GPU, CPU, and more. This additional insight keeps you in the loop about weak points and outdated components. Finally, if you’re into competitive or speed gaming, lag-free visuals can enhance your reaction time, which could significantly impact your performance.

To help with this, adding an FPS overlay or in-game FPS tracker enables you to monitor important metrics in real-time, ensuring you have the best possible gaming experience. By leveraging an FPS display, you can make informed decisions about your hardware and game settings.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a FPS Counter Tool

Here are some key features to consider:

• Price: Many great frame rate counter tools are free. Just keep in mind that you may get what you pay for (or don’t pay for).
• Feature Richness: If you want all the bells and whistles on top of reliable counting, do your research. Some tools include more extras than others.
• Easy to Use: If you’re new to the FPS counting game, you will want software without a steep learning curve.
• Game Performance: Sometimes running additional software, like a counting tool, can actually make your game lag or stutter. You’ll want something that minimizes gameplay problems, such as an efficient overlay or in-game meter.

Our 5 Favorite FPS Counter Software for Windows

There is no shortage of apps that can add a frame rate meter on Windows. These apps will normally only work while you’re playing a game since few apps need to refresh frames at the same rate that games do.

Also, all of the apps suggested should work with either Windows 10 or Windows 11. The downloading steps are mostly the same. However, if you have an older version of Windows 10, you might need to run the software in compatibility mode, as is the case with MSI Afterburner.

Here’s a table of our top 5 favorites and all their great features. We’ll cover each one in detail too, including their FPS overlay and FPS display capabilities.

MSI Afterburner

MSI Afterburner is a free, versatile tool that not only displays your rendering speed but also allows you to overclock your graphics card and monitor your system’s performance. It’s a favorite among enthusiasts for its wide range of features. These include:

• Real-time hardware monitoring
• Compatible with graphics cards of all brands
• Fan speed control for safer overclocking temperatures
• On-screen display
• OC-scanner one-click overclocking
• Hardware monitor
• Custom fan profiles
• Video capture

To Download MSI Afterburner:

1. Download and install MSI Afterburner.
2. Open the app’s settings.
3. Go to the Monitoring tab.
4. From the list of items, select and enable Framerate (make sure the check mark is active).
5. Enable the Show in On-screen display option.
6. The FPS counter will appear when you run a game.

NVIDIA App

If you have a gaming system with an NVIDIA graphics card, the Nvidia App is a great option for a counter. It’s lightweight and easy to use, and it also overlays other useful information like CPU usage and temperature. Be aware, to get the optimal performance from GeForce, you should have good network connectivity, or it may cause issues with the overlay display or the gameplay itself. If you have strong network conditions, however, it is a powerful tool with great graphics and helpful display data. Here are some other features of the NVIDIA overlay:

• Improves game performance
• Overlay lets you access screenshot capture
• GPU-accelerated video recording
• Overlay lets you add cameras and indicators
• Customizable overlay display preferences and keyboard shortcuts
• Easily broadcast to Twitch, YouTube, etc.

To Download the Nvidia App:

1. Download the Nvidia App from Nvidia.
2. Open the program and select Settings on the left.
3. Ensure NVIDIA overlay is turned on from the Features tab.
4. Select Statistics at the bottom left of the program.
5. Change the Statistics view to FPS.
6. Ensure Show statistics in heads up display is toggled on at the top (press Alt + R to turn it on).
7. Run a game. The FPS counter appears automatically at the top.

AMD Radeon Software (Overlay)

Similar to the Nvidia App, AMD Radeon Software offers an FPS monitoring overlay for AMD graphics cards. It also provides access to other features like driver updates and game optimizations. It has a great deal of adjustable settings, menus, and controls. For someone new, it can seem a bit overwhelming. That said, these are all simple to navigate; just be prepared to choose between plenty of options. Also, there have been reported bugs and performance issues, often because of a flawed recently updated driver. Usually, uninstalling and reinstalling the driver fixes this. It may require a bit of fiddling, but once you have things adjusted, most users really appreciate the details afforded by AMD. Here are some other features:

• Adjustable recording settings
• In depth-power management utility controls
• Preset profiles for GPU performance and power draws
• Overclocking features
• Memory frequency adjustments
• Fan speed control
• Can set max frame rate to reduce power consumption, heat, and noise from graphics card
• Real-time game performance analyzer
• Metrics (like FPS) can be displayed and logged

To download AMD Radeon Overlay:

1. Go to AMD and download the latest Windows drivers.
2. The Radeon overlay is already enabled by default when you have AMD graphics cards To access it press Alt + R at the same time.
3. You can customize hotkeys from the Preference section.

Overwolf FPS Monitor

FPS Monitor is a more comprehensive option that goes beyond just displaying frames per second. It can track a wide range of system performance metrics, including CPU and GPU usage, frame times, and network latency. Overwolf is a platform for developers to create, share, and monetize their in-game apps. Be aware that downloading the app will install the Overwolf Client. FPS Monitor is one of the apps created for the platform. The strength of Overwolf is that it’s lightweight and free of lag. Each app is only about as demanding on your system as a browser tab, meaning your gameplay performance is in good hands. Other helpful features:

• Frame rates tracked during gameplay

• Frame rates tracked during gameplay

Read Full Bio

Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

Latest from Author

How to Change DNS Settings on Any Device: Step-by-Step Guide How To Change The Apple ID Country Setting