The testing of fabric moisture management is crucial for textile development in healthcare, activewear, personal protective equipment (PPE), etc. Research and industry rely on efficient quantitative testing by moisture managementinstruments, yet a deeper understanding of these devices and their ability to assess fabric moisture management isneeded. This paper provides a thorough comparison of two fabric moisture management testing instruments, MoistureManagement Tester (MMT) and WickView, by looking at each instrument’s performance in assessing various aspects oftransverse and in-plane liquid transport. Based on the polyester and viscose fabrics tested in this study, the resultsindicate that MMT is more suitable for testing initial wetting and rapid transverse wicking in fabrics, whereas WickViewis unique in detecting directional in-plane wicking in one dimension and two dimensional in-plane wicking. The study alsohighlights limitations for both instruments. Limited spatial resolution for MMT and temporal resolution for WickViewaffect the test results’ accuracy. WickView’s ability to provide raw data allows for customizable analysis, which makes itpreferable for development and research, whereas MMT is more efficient for routine quality control. Furthermore, theimportance of adapting grading systems and general moisture management values according to the intended end use isemphasized. This study is useful for professionals seeking a deeper understanding of instrument-based fabric moisturemanagement testing.