MacStats vs Stats vs iStat Menus
Three native macOS system monitors, three different goals. Here is an honest breakdown, including where MacStats is not the right answer.
The short answer
- Choose Stats if you want capable monitoring for free, value open source, or are on an Intel Mac.
- Choose iStat Menus if you need the deepest hardware sensor coverage: individual temperature probes, fan RPM and highly customisable menu bar readouts.
- Choose MacStats if you want the monitor to interpret the data for you: plain-English explanations of what a process is, trends over time, and alerts when something is unusual for your specific Mac rather than over a fixed threshold.
All three are written natively for macOS, so all three are dramatically lighter than Electron-based alternatives. MacStats measures at roughly 1% CPU and 65 MB of memory while monitoring on an Apple silicon Mac.
| Feature | MacStats | Stats | iStat Menus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native (not Electron) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | ✗ | MIT licensed | ✗ |
| Price | Free, Pro $14.99 once | Free | Paid |
| Subscription required | ✗ | ✗ | Optional plans |
| Menu bar display | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CPU / memory / disk / network | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Per-process breakdown | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Battery health & cycle count | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Temperature & fan sensors | Thermal state only | ✓ | Most comprehensive |
| Historical trends (24h/7d/30d) | ✓ | • | ✓ |
| Anomaly detection vs. your own baseline | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Plain-English AI explanations | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Intel Mac support | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 13 Ventura | macOS 10.15+ | macOS 11+ |
Figures for MacStats were measured directly (five samples, Apple silicon, idle monitoring). Details for Stats and iStat Menus reflect publicly documented capabilities of those projects and may change between releases, so check their own sites for current pricing and features. MacStats is not affiliated with either.
Stats
An excellent free, open-source menu bar monitor written in Swift. If you simply want accurate graphs at zero cost and no licensing to think about, Stats is genuinely hard to beat, and being open source, you can audit exactly what it does.
MacStats vs Stats in detail →iStat Menus
The most established option, with the widest hardware sensor coverage of the three and deep menu bar customisation. If you want to watch individual temperature probes and fan speeds, this is the tool built for that job.
MacStats vs iStat Menus in detail →MacStats
Built around a different question: not "what are the numbers?" but "what do they mean?" MacStats explains cryptic processes in plain English, keeps 24-hour, 7-day and 30-day history, and learns your Mac's normal baseline so it can tell you when something is genuinely unusual.
See pricing →Common questions
What is the difference between MacStats, Stats and iStat Menus?
Stats is a free, open-source menu bar monitor that shows raw metrics. iStat Menus is a long-established paid app with the broadest hardware sensor coverage, including temperatures and fan speeds. MacStats is a native Swift menu bar monitor that adds plain-English AI explanations of what processes are doing, historical trends, and anomaly detection against your Mac's own baseline. All three are native macOS apps rather than Electron wrappers.
Which Mac system monitor uses the least resources?
All three are native applications, so all are far lighter than an Electron-based tool. MacStats measures at approximately 1% CPU and 65 MB of memory while monitoring on an Apple silicon Mac. Stats and iStat Menus are also natively written and lightweight; published head-to-head figures vary by configuration, refresh interval and how many sensors are enabled.
Is there a free Mac system monitor?
Yes. Stats is fully free and open source under an MIT licence. MacStats has a free tier covering its monitoring features, with an optional one-time Pro upgrade that adds the AI Explainer. iStat Menus is a paid commercial application.
Which Mac monitor shows CPU temperature and fan speed?
iStat Menus offers the most comprehensive hardware sensor coverage, including detailed temperature and fan sensors. Stats also exposes sensor readings. MacStats currently reports macOS thermal state (nominal, fair, serious or critical) rather than individual temperature sensors or fan RPM.
Do these apps run on Intel Macs?
MacStats targets Apple silicon (M-series) Macs on macOS 13 Ventura or later. Stats and iStat Menus have historically supported both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. If you are on an Intel Mac, Stats or iStat Menus are the appropriate choices.
Is MacStats a subscription?
No. MacStats Pro is a one-time purchase: $14.99 for a personal licence and $39.99 for a family licence. There is no recurring fee, and the free tier does not expire.
Data is good. Understanding is better.
Download MacStats FreemacOS 13 Ventura or later · Apple silicon · No subscription