# btop

Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026

Resource monitor with a beautiful TUI interface

Category: System Utilities · Free · [Official website](https://github.com/aristocratos/btop)

## Install with Homebrew

`brew install btop`

## Quick take

btop remains the best-looking general terminal system monitor for Mac power users in 2026. Install via Homebrew (stable 1.4.7 bottles include Apple Silicon Tahoe), theme it, and keep it in a tmux pane. Use Stats or Activity Monitor when you need menu-bar sensors or Apple-specific metrics btop cannot see.

Best for: Terminal-native developers, SREs on SSH, Anyone replacing Activity Monitor for daily checks

## What is btop?

btop (often styled btop++) is a terminal resource monitor written in C++. It is the successor to bashtop and bpytop with much lower overhead. It shows CPU (per-core), memory, disks, network, and processes in a dense TUI with mouse support, process trees, and dozens of themes. On macOS, btop is still maintained in 2026. Homebrew's formula lists stable 1.4.7 with bottles for Apple Silicon including macOS Tahoe, plus Sequoia/Sonoma, and Intel Sonoma bottles. The upstream aristocratos/btop repository kept shipping commits through summer 2026 (changelog notes for v1.4.7 around May 2026; themes and packaging updates afterward). It remains free Apache-2.0 software with optional sponsorships and no product tiers. What Mac users should know: Linux builds expose more hardware sensors (including GPUs on many systems). macOS support is solid for CPU, memory, disk, network, and process views, but historically weaker for fan, temperature, and GPU telemetry on Apple Silicon than on Linux. For menu-bar glance metrics, pair btop with Stats or iStat Menus. For SSH servers and tmux panes, btop works well on its own. Competitors include htop, bottom (btm), glances, Activity Monitor, and newer Mac-oriented TUIs. btop wins on visual density and theming while staying one binary without a Python runtime. Install with `brew install btop` for the current bottle, confirm arm64 on Apple Silicon, and pin the formula in Brewfiles when shared scripts expect a specific CLI. It needs a terminal with decent Unicode and box-drawing support (`btop --utf-force` helps when glyphs break). Keep it in a tmux pane for long sessions. On Tahoe 26.x the 1.4.7 bottles are the documented path; check `brew info btop` after major OS upgrades. There is no paid tier to re-check, but release notes still matter for sensor and theme changes. Pair with Stats when you need menu-bar thermals that the TUI does not show on Mac.

## Features

- **Per-core CPU graphs.** Historical and real-time per-core utilization in a readable TUI layout that stays clear on both laptop and external monitor widths.
- **Memory, disk, and network panels.** Track RAM and pressure-like usage patterns, disk IO, and network throughput without leaving the terminal.
- **Process manager.** Filter, tree-view, and send signals to processes. Closer to a lightweight Activity Monitor inside the terminal, without leaving SSH or tmux.
- **Mouse support and themes.** Clickable UI plus community themes (Catppuccin, Dracula, Nord, Kanagawa Dragon, and more) that match common terminal rice setups.
- **Low overhead C++ binary.** No Python interpreter required (unlike bpytop). Suitable for long-running panes over SSH with minimal CPU cost.
- **Cross-platform.** Linux, macOS (x86_64/ARM64), and BSD family support, with platform-specific sensor differences. macOS sees fewer hardware sensors than typical Linux builds.

## How to Install btop on Mac

btop installs via Homebrew in one command. It runs on macOS 12 (Monterey) and later, with full support for Apple Silicon bottles including Tahoe.

1. **Install via Homebrew.** Run `brew install btop` in your terminal. This installs the latest stable version with macOS-specific system monitoring support.
2. **Launch btop.** Type `btop` in your terminal and press Enter. The full dashboard appears immediately, showing CPU, memory, disk, network, and processes.
3. **Customize Theme (Optional).** Press `Esc` to open the options menu, navigate to 'Theme,' and browse available themes. Select one that matches your terminal color scheme. Press Enter to apply.
4. **Make It Persistent.** Add `btop` to your tmux startup or create a shell alias. For a dedicated monitoring setup, consider running btop in its own tmux session: `tmux new-session -d -s monitor 'btop'`.

## Pros

- Beautiful, information-dense TUI
- Mouse support and rich themes
- Lightweight C++ single binary
- Works great over SSH/tmux
- Homebrew bottles for Apple Silicon including Tahoe
- Free Apache 2.0

## Cons

- Terminal-only, no menu bar widget
- macOS sensor coverage lags Linux (temps/GPU)
- No alerting/notifications subsystem
- Requires a capable terminal font/Unicode setup
- Config is file-based rather than GUI settings

## Closer look: From bashtop to a C++ TUI

The path from bashtop to bpytop to btop++, and how a terminal system monitor became a reference for TUI design.

## FAQ

### How do I install btop on Mac?

Run `brew install btop`, then `btop`. Homebrew provides Apple Silicon bottles including Tahoe. Use `btop --utf-force` if box-drawing characters render poorly.

### What version is current in 2026?

Homebrew stable lists 1.4.7 as of the August 2026 formula snapshot. Check `brew info btop` or GitHub releases for newer point versions.

### Does btop show CPU temperatures on Apple Silicon?

Sensor support on macOS is more limited than on Linux. Many users pair btop with Stats for thermal and menu-bar sensors that the TUI does not expose well on Apple Silicon.

### Is btop free?

Yes, Apache 2.0 open source with no premium unlock.

### btop vs htop?

htop is classic and ubiquitous; btop is more visual with graphs and themes. Try both. Many admins keep each for different sessions.

### Can I run btop remotely?

Yes. It works well inside SSH sessions and terminal multiplexers like tmux, which is a common production debugging setup.

## Sources

- [aristocratos/btop](https://github.com/aristocratos/btop)
- [Homebrew formula btop](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/btop)
- [OS X Daily: btop for macOS](https://osxdaily.com/2026/01/22/btop-for-macos-is-an-excellent-terminal-system-resource-monitor/)
- [DEV: BTOP++ introduction](https://dev.to/igorgbr/btop-the-resource-monitor-i-didnt-know-i-needed-389d)
- [x-cmd btop notes](https://x-cmd.com/install/btop/)
- [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/)

## Related

- [Maccy](https://bundl.run/apps/maccy)
- [Stats](https://bundl.run/apps/stats)
- [SuperWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/superwhisper)
- [MacWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/macwhisper)
- [HyperWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/hyperwhisper)
- [Aqua Voice](https://bundl.run/apps/aqua-voice)

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