# System and battery monitors for Mac

> Live CPU, memory, temperature and battery stats in your menu bar.

From dockpicks (https://dockpicks.com/), a hand-picked, independent directory of Mac apps. Web page: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/

Group: System. 5 apps, listed best first. Prices are the vendor's wording, checked October 2026, and can change.

Built into macOS: Activity Monitor and Battery settings. Activity Monitor already shows CPU, memory, energy, disk, network and GPU activity, and can put a live CPU graph in the Dock, but it has no menu bar readouts or temperature and fan details. For battery care, Optimized Battery Charging (macOS 11 or later) delays charging past 80% based on your routine, and Apple silicon Macs on macOS Tahoe 26.4 or later can set a fixed Charge Limit between 80% and 100% in Battery settings. Most people only need a monitor if they want stats at a glance or fan control.

## 1. iStat Menus

The most complete menu bar system monitor

- Price: $11.99 one-time; Family $14.99
- Pricing model: Paid. A one-time purchase. A free trial may exist.
- Usable without paying: No
- Open source: No
- Developer: Bjango Pty Ltd
- Website: https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/
- Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/istat-menus-7/id6499559693
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/#istat-menus

Shows CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, sensor, battery and weather information in the menu bar, with detailed drop-downs, notifications and fan control. A combined mode packs several readouts into one item.

Our take: The polished, deeply configurable choice for people who want everything in one place. Paid upgrades come with major versions; free Stats covers the basics.

## 2. Stats

Free, open-source system monitor for the menu bar

- Price: Free
- Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: Yes, MIT (https://github.com/exelban/stats)
- Developer: Serhiy Mytrovtsiy
- Website: https://mac-stats.com/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/#stats

Adds menu bar widgets for CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, sensors, network, battery, Bluetooth device batteries and a clock, each configurable in several display styles.

Our take: The best free option and enough for most people who want menu bar stats. Less polished than iStat Menus and without its fan control or weather.

## 3. TG Pro

Temperature monitoring and fan control

- Price: $10 one-time
- Pricing model: Paid. A one-time purchase. A free trial may exist.
- Usable without paying: No
- Open source: No
- Developer: Tunabelly Software
- Website: https://www.tunabellysoftware.com/tgpro/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/#tg-pro

Monitors temperatures of the CPU, GPU, drives and battery, shows fan speeds and lets you control fans manually or with automatic boost rules. It also offers hardware diagnostics, notifications and CSV logging.

Our take: Worth it if heat or fan noise is your concern rather than general stats. Narrower in scope than iStat Menus.

## 4. AlDente

Battery charge limiter with extra battery-care tools

- Price: Free; Pro €11.49/year or €23.99 lifetime
- Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: No
- Developer: AppHouseKitchen
- Website: https://apphousekitchen.com/
- Built-in may be enough: Activity Monitor and Battery settings already covers what most people use this for
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/#aldente

Caps how far your MacBook charges and can discharge it while plugged in. Pro adds heat protection, sailing mode, calibration, automatic discharge and Shortcuts support.

Our take: On Apple silicon Macs running macOS 26.4 or later, the built-in Charge Limit covers the main reason people install this. AlDente still makes sense on Intel Macs, older macOS, or if you want Pro extras like heat protection.

## 5. coconutBattery

Battery health details for your Mac, iPhone and iPad

- Price: Not confirmed here; see the vendor site
- Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: No
- Developer: coconut-flavour.com
- Website: https://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/system-monitors/#coconutbattery

Shows live battery health information such as capacity and charge cycles for your Mac and connected iPhone or iPad. The Plus upgrade adds Wi-Fi device readings, a battery lifetime analyzer, SSD stats and notifications.

Our take: A quick, long-standing way to check how worn a battery is, useful when buying a used MacBook. The free version is enough for occasional checks.