SIM RACING TELEMETRY COMPARISON

Flowix vs SecondMonitor:
Which Fits Your Racing?

SecondMonitor is a free, open-source Windows app that shows live timing, car status and fuel strategy on a second screen, with a local telemetry viewer. Flowix shows nothing while you drive: it records laps silently and you review them afterwards in the browser on any device.

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Facts about SecondMonitor checked on 2026-11-01 against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Flowix vs SecondMonitor telemetry comparison
Flowix vs SecondMonitor: Side-by-side Comparison
FEATURE MATRIX

Flowix vs SecondMonitor at a Glance

FeatureFlowixSecondMonitor
License / price Every feature free, AI connector included; free limits are 14-day trace storage (7 days for non-clean laps) and 500 MB; lap times and personal bests are kept forever. PRO from $5/month: 1 year, 5 GB, private traces Entirely free, open source (MIT licence)
Simulators supported AMS2, AC, AC EVO, RaceRoom R3E, AMS2, Project CARS 2, Automobilista, rFactor 1 and 2, LMU, AC (plugin), ACC (broadcast), F1 2019 to 2021 and F1 24, Project CARS and Forza with limits
Background footprint Native tray agent, 1.3 MB installer, about 5 MB RAM when idle Desktop app on the .NET 8 runtime, 17.4 MB installer, about 131 MB RAM after start (measured by us, November 2026); can run on a second networked PC
FPS impact / disk I/O No window or overlay to render; samples buffered in RAM, one compressed file written per completed lap Renders live windows while you drive; can move to a second networked PC to take that load off the gaming PC; FPS figures not published
Capture rate 60 Hz Not documented
Advanced physics channels Up to 57 channels: 3-zone tyre temps, damper velocity, ride height, brake temps (full set in AMS2) Live tyre, brake, oil and water temps, pressures, wear, pedals; per-lap telemetry viewer
Live information while driving None Live timing, relative order, deltas, pit info, track map, fuel calculator
AI coaching AI chat via a free MCP connector: ask your own questions, get custom analysis of your laps None; you read the data yourself
Data storage and export Cloud history, browser on any device, share links, CSV and CSVY Local laps grouped by session; automatic .xlsx session reports
FLOWIX FREE PLAN

Free Means Every Feature

The free plan is not a trial or a cut-down version. Every analysis feature is free, including the AI connector. PRO only changes how long detailed telemetry is stored and who can see it.

Included for free

  • Automatic 60 Hz recording in AMS2, AC, AC EVO and RaceRoom
  • Full lap analysis: every channel, lap overlays, 2D/3D track maps and sector splits
  • Personal bests, global leaderboards and comparison with other drivers' public laps
  • Share links and CSV / CSVY export
  • The AI race engineer connector
  • Lap times, sessions and personal bests are kept with no time limit

The only free-plan limits

  • Detailed telemetry traces are kept for 14 days, or 7 days for non-clean laps (PRO: 1 year). Laps in the top 10 of a track-and-car leaderboard keep their traces longer. Lap times, sessions and personal bests are kept forever.
  • 500 MB of telemetry storage, about 1,500 laps at the average lap size; space comes back as old traces expire (PRO: 5 GB).
  • Your traces are visible to other drivers (PRO can make them private).
  • AI calculations use shared server capacity; PRO requests also get reserved capacity when the service is busy.
AI CHAT, NOT TEMPLATED TIPS

Ask Your Own Questions

Most telemetry tools stop at graphs you interpret yourself, or at tips in a pre-set format: you get the analysis the tool was built to give, and you cannot ask a follow-up. Flowix connects the AI assistant you choose to your laps, so it answers the question you actually have and works out non-standard analysis from your data when you need it.

Questions you can ask about your own laps

  • “Why was my best lap at Spa faster than the laps I drove today?”
  • “Where do I lose time against the leaderboard leader in my car?”
  • “Am I locking the fronts into the hairpins? Walk me through my braking zones.”
  • “The outside edge of my front tyres runs hot. What could I change?”
  • “Compare my minimum speed in every corner with my best lap and rank the gaps.”
  • “Based on this week's sessions, what should I practise next?”

The AI can run its own calculations on any channel for a one-off question, so you are not limited to built-in reports. Answer quality depends on the model you connect; larger models give better coaching.

How the AI Race Engineer Works
TECHNICAL DIFFERENCES

Architecture: cloud logger vs live desktop dashboard

Flowix

Flowix is a tray agent plus a website. Nothing runs on screen; finished laps go to the cloud and stay available on any phone, tablet or PC.

SecondMonitor

SecondMonitor is a Windows desktop application built around live windows: timing, car status and fuel. Since version 4 it can run on a separate computer on your network.

Telemetry fidelity and channel availability

Flowix

Flowix stores a documented set of up to 57 channels at 60 Hz for later analysis, including tyre carcass zones, damper velocity and ride height where the sim exposes them.

SecondMonitor

SecondMonitor focuses on live car data such as temperatures, pressures, wear and pedal positions, and saves telemetry per lap for its own viewer. Its sim list is much longer.

Analysis workflow: after the session vs during it

Flowix

You review laps after the session with overlays, 3D track maps, leaderboards and an AI assistant. There is no live strategy help.

SecondMonitor

SecondMonitor helps during the session with live gaps, pit information and fuel calculation, and exports session reports to Excel afterwards.

FAIR ASSESSMENT

Which One Should You Choose?

When to Choose SecondMonitor

  • You want live timing, fuel calculation and car status on a second screen while you race.
  • You want a free, open-source tool that keeps everything on your PC.
  • You drive rFactor 2, LMU, ACC, F1 or another sim Flowix does not support.

When to Choose Flowix

  • You race in VR and want recording with nothing on screen.
  • You want your lap history online, on any device, and shareable by link.
  • You want leaderboards and AI analysis of your laps.
FAQ

Flowix vs SecondMonitor FAQ

Only for post-session analysis. Flowix shows nothing live, so if you use SecondMonitor for timing or fuel strategy during races, keep it; the two can run side by side.

Yes. The agent has no window or overlay, so there is nothing to see in the headset. You review laps afterwards in a browser.

Finished laps are uploaded to Flowix servers. The free plan keeps lap telemetry for 14 days (7 for non-clean laps) and PRO for a year; laps in the top 10 of a track-and-car leaderboard keep their telemetry beyond that. Lap times and personal bests are kept forever on every plan.

Sources for SecondMonitor (checked 2026-11-01): SecondMonitor on GitLab (README)

SecondMonitor is a trademark of its owner. Flowix is not affiliated with it. Spotted something out of date? Tell us. See all comparisons.

SUPPORTED SIMULATORS
Automobilista 2 Telemetry Assetto Corsa Telemetry Assetto Corsa EVO Telemetry RaceRoom Telemetry
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