# iStats Menus Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 System monitoring app Category: System Utilities · Paid · [Official website](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask istat-menus` ## Quick take iStat Menus 7.3 is still the gold-standard macOS system monitor in August 2026: Tahoe-fixed, M3/M4-aware, and efficient enough that the monitor is not the thing burning your CPU. Pay once (~$12), optionally subscribe for weather, or grab it on Setapp. Stats is fine for light graphs; choose iStat when you need sensors, fan curves, and rules. Best for: Video editors and creative professionals monitoring renders, Developers tracking system resources during builds, Hardware enthusiasts analyzing thermal performance, Power users who want the most detailed monitoring available ## What is iStat Menus? iStat Menus is Bjango's long-running macOS menu-bar system monitor for CPU, GPU, memory, disks, network, sensors, battery, weather, and clocks. It is alive and well in August 2026 on version 7.3, released 14 May 2026. The 7.x line is a paid major upgrade from iStat Menus 6. Version 7.2 fixed menu-bar vertical offsets and missing frequencies and sensors on macOS Tahoe, added a Liquid Glass icon, and hardened daemon communication. Version 7.3 adds super-core CPU support, a network interface-icon menu-bar mode, cloud-cover options on weather graphs, better M3 and M4 fan control, and smarter CPU core grouping. Licensing is perpetual. TidBITS and reseller notes document $11.99 single and $14.99 family (up to 5) for new purchases, with discounted upgrades from version 6 (around $9.99 and $12.99) and free version 7 licenses if you bought version 6 on or after 1 January 2024 (contact Bjango). The Mac App Store lists around $11.99 with optional weather IAPs at $0.99 per month or $4.99 per year. Direct licenses include six months of weather. The app is also on Setapp (about $9.99 per month for the bundle). A 14-day trial is available from bjango.com. It needs macOS 11 or later on Bjango's site (App Store metadata may show a higher floor such as macOS 14). Apple Silicon and Intel are supported, and Tahoe 26.x is addressed in the 7.2 and later notes. Free alternatives like Stats, MenuMeters successors, and Activity Monitor cover the basics. iStat Menus is for when you want fan curves, rules and alerts, combined menu-bar mode, and sensor depth. ## Features - **iStat Menus 7.3 for Tahoe and Apple Silicon.** Version 7.3 from 14 May 2026 adds super-core awareness in CPU views, an interface-icon mode for network, cloud-cover options on weather graphs, improved M3 and M4 fan control, and better CPU core grouping. Version 7.2 before it fixed Tahoe menu-bar positioning, missing frequencies and sensors on Tahoe, and a daemon security issue. If you upgraded the OS mid-cycle, 7.2 or later is required. - **CPU & GPU Monitoring.** iStat Menus shows real-time usage for individual efficiency and performance cores, CPU frequency history graphs, load averages, uptime, and a ranked list of the most CPU-intensive apps. On Apple Silicon it separates performance and efficiency core utilization with distinct styling. The GPU module tracks processor use, memory use, temperature, and frequency on supported Macs, including frame-rate tracking for graphics work. That detail helps developers watch builds, video editors check renders, and power users spot runaway processes. - **Memory & Disk Analytics.** The memory module covers usage percentages, history graphs, memory pressure, compressed memory, swap use, and a live list of the most memory-hungry apps. On Apple Silicon it interprets unified memory correctly, where high use is normal and pressure is the signal that matters. The disk module shows used and free space, real-time activity in the menu bar, S.M.A.R.T. health, per-app disk use, and I/O for internal and external volumes and network shares. - **Network Monitoring.** Network tracking shows real-time upload and download speeds, bandwidth history graphs, and a ranked list of top bandwidth consumers. You get public and private IP addresses, IPv6 status, gateway details, and DNS information. A connectivity indicator confirms network status at a glance, and custom rules can notify you when the connection drops or the public IP changes, handy for VPN and remote work. - **Sensors & Fan Control.** The sensors module reads every hardware sensor the Mac exposes: CPU, GPU, and SSD temperatures, fan speeds, CPU and GPU frequencies on supported models, voltages, current draw, and power use. On Apple Silicon it shows frequency for both performance and efficiency cores. Fan control lets you set custom curves by temperature or battery state with gradual ramping to avoid sudden noise. Useful for sustained loads, and essential if you push Intel Macs or run long Apple Silicon workloads. - **Weather Integration.** Unlike most system monitors, iStat Menus includes weather. It shows current conditions in the menu bar with hourly and 7-day forecasts, plus highs and lows, wind speed and direction, precipitation chance, humidity, dew point, UV index, pressure, and visibility. You can track your current location or pin cities worldwide. All licenses include six months of weather data; after that, additional packs are available. - **Customizable Notifications.** The rules engine can notify you on almost any metric: CPU above a threshold for a set duration, GPU temperature limits, memory pressure warnings, low disk space, network loss, public IP changes, battery level, fan speed, sensor readings, or weather. Triggers, durations, and cooldowns are configurable, so you stay informed without getting flooded. - **Battery & Power Tracking.** The battery module shows current state with a menu-bar icon that changes for charging, draining, or full. It reports time remaining, cycle count, health percentage, power draw in watts, and amperage. It also tracks connected Bluetooth devices like AirPods, Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and some third-party headphones, so you see all batteries without opening System Settings. ## How to Install iStat Menus on Mac iStat Menus can be installed via direct download from Bjango or through Homebrew for command-line convenience. It requires macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later, with full optimization for macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and beyond on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. 1. **Download iStat Menus.** Visit https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/ and click the Download button to get the latest version (currently 7.2). Alternatively, if you use Homebrew, run: brew install --cask istat-menus 2. **Install and Launch.** Open the downloaded DMG file and drag iStat Menus to your Applications folder. Launch the app from Applications or Spotlight. You'll start with a 14-day free trial with full feature access. 3. **Grant System Permissions.** iStat Menus requires system permissions to access sensors and display in the menu bar. Follow the on-screen prompts to grant necessary permissions in System Settings > Privacy & Security. For fan control, additional accessibility permissions may be required. ## Pros - Most detailed sensor coverage available on macOS, including Apple Silicon-specific metrics like CPU/GPU frequency - One-time purchase with no subscription required, buy once, use forever on all your personal Macs - Highly customizable fan control with gradual ramping curves and temperature-based triggers - Privacy-focused with no analytics, no ads, and no cloud data collection - Native Apple Silicon optimization with minimal CPU and battery impact despite deep system integration - 14-day free trial with full feature access before purchase decision ## Cons - Paid software when free alternatives like Stats offer basic monitoring at no cost - Weather data requires ongoing purchase after the included 6-month period expires - Steep learning curve due to extensive customization options and dense information displays - Upgrade fee required for major version updates (though historically infrequent, iStat Menus 6 launched in 2017) ## Architecture: iStat Menus History and Internals iStat Menus has been iterated for more than 15 years. That history and its native construction explain why it still leads on sensor access. ## FAQ ### Is iStat Menus free? iStat Menus offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. After the trial, a one-time purchase is required, approximately $12 for a single license or $16-18 for a family pack covering up to 5 Macs. There is no subscription required to use the app after purchase. Alternatively, iStat Menus is available through Setapp's subscription service. ### Does iStat Menus work on Apple Silicon Macs? Yes, iStat Menus 7 is fully optimized for Apple Silicon including M1, M2, M3, and M4 series processors. It provides unique sensor data for Apple Silicon such as CPU/GPU frequency monitoring, performance vs efficiency core tracking, and neural engine visibility that is not available on Intel Macs or through other monitoring tools. ### How do I upgrade from iStat Menus 6 to 7? iStat Menus 7 is a paid major version with a full redesign, new menu-bar modes, richer Apple Silicon sensors, and rules. Current maintenance release as of August 2026 is 7.3 (14 May 2026). Tahoe users should be on 7.2 or newer for menu-bar and sensor fixes. ### Can iStat Menus control fan speeds? Yes, iStat Menus includes detailed fan control capabilities. You can set static fan speeds, configure custom curves based on temperature thresholds, or set rules that gradually ramp fan speeds based on CPU/GPU temperatures or battery state. Fan control requires accessibility permissions and works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs that have physical fans (note that some MacBook Air models are fanless). ### Does iStat Menus drain battery? iStat Menus is designed to be extremely efficient and uses minimal battery. As a native Swift application with optimized sensor polling, it typically consumes less than 1% CPU even with all modules enabled. The impact on battery life is negligible for most users, especially compared to Electron-based alternatives. You can further reduce power consumption by increasing sensor update intervals in settings. ### Is iStat Menus safe and private? Yes, iStat Menus is privacy-focused with no analytics tracking, no advertisements, and no data collection. All monitoring happens locally on your Mac, no system data is sent to Bjango or any third parties. The app requires system permissions to access sensors and display in the menu bar, but these are standard requirements for any system monitoring utility. Bjango has a 15+ year reputation for trustworthy Mac software. ### What makes iStat Menus better than free alternatives like Stats? While free alternatives like Stats cover basic monitoring needs, iStat Menus offers unique professional features: detailed sensor coverage including CPU/GPU frequencies, customizable notification rules based on any metric, integrated weather forecasts, world clocks, advanced fan control with gradual ramping, per-app disk usage tracking, and the most polished native interface. For users who need deep system visibility and professional-grade monitoring, iStat Menus justifies its cost. ### Can I use iStat Menus on multiple Macs? A single license covers all Macs owned by one person. The Family Pack license covers up to 5 family members across their personal Macs. Business users should purchase individual licenses for each Mac. There is no limit to how many times you can activate a personal license on your own devices. ### Why do I need to grant so many permissions? iStat Menus requires system permissions to access hardware sensors (temperatures, fan speeds, CPU frequencies), display in the menu bar at the system level, control fan speeds (accessibility permission), and monitor disk/network activity. These are standard requirements for any system monitoring utility that goes beyond basic Activity Monitor functionality. All permissions are used only for local monitoring. ### How do I uninstall iStat Menus? Do not simply drag iStat Menus to the Trash, as this leaves background daemons running. Instead, open iStat Menus, go to the application menu, and select 'Uninstall iStat Menus' to properly remove all components including system helpers and launch daemons. After using the built-in uninstaller, you can delete the app from your Applications folder. ### Does iStat Menus support macOS Tahoe? Yes. Versions 7.2 and 7.3 specifically fix Tahoe menu-bar offsets, missing frequencies/sensors, and related UI issues. Bjango lists macOS 11+ as the baseline; stay current for Tahoe 26.x. ### Is weather included with iStat Menus 7? Direct licenses include six months of weather. After that, purchase weather data packs or subscribe ($0.99 monthly / $4.99 yearly on the App Store). Non-weather monitoring features continue without a weather subscription. ## Sources - [iStat Menus official page](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/) - [iStat Menus version history](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/versionhistory/) - [iStat Menus 7 on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/istat-menus-7/id6499559693?mt=12) - [Why is iStat Menus 7 a paid upgrade?](https://bjango.com/help/istatmenus7/update/) - [iStat Menus 7.0.2 pricing notes](https://tidbits.com/watchlist/istat-menus-7-0-2/) - [iStat Menus 7 overview and pricing](https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/95542-istat-menus-7-is-the-latest-in-a-long-line-of-delightful-mac-monitoring-apps-from-bjango/) ## 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) - [iStats Menus vs Stats](https://bundl.run/compare/stats-vs-istat-menus) - [iStats Menus vs eul](https://bundl.run/compare/eul-vs-istat-menus) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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Current maintenance release as of August 2026 is 7.3 (14 May 2026). Tahoe users should be on 7.2 or newer for menu-bar and sensor fixes." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can iStat Menus control fan speeds?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, iStat Menus includes detailed fan control capabilities. You can set static fan speeds, configure custom curves based on temperature thresholds, or set rules that gradually ramp fan speeds based on CPU/GPU temperatures or battery state. Fan control requires accessibility permissions and works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs that have physical fans (note that some MacBook Air models are fanless)." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does iStat Menus drain battery?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "iStat Menus is designed to be extremely efficient and uses minimal battery. As a native Swift application with optimized sensor polling, it typically consumes less than 1% CPU even with all modules enabled. The impact on battery life is negligible for most users, especially compared to Electron-based alternatives. You can further reduce power consumption by increasing sensor update intervals in settings." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is iStat Menus safe and private?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, iStat Menus is privacy-focused with no analytics tracking, no advertisements, and no data collection. All monitoring happens locally on your Mac, no system data is sent to Bjango or any third parties. The app requires system permissions to access sensors and display in the menu bar, but these are standard requirements for any system monitoring utility. 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Instead, open iStat Menus, go to the application menu, and select 'Uninstall iStat Menus' to properly remove all components including system helpers and launch daemons. After using the built-in uninstaller, you can delete the app from your Applications folder." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does iStat Menus support macOS Tahoe?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Versions 7.2 and 7.3 specifically fix Tahoe menu-bar offsets, missing frequencies/sensors, and related UI issues. Bjango lists macOS 11+ as the baseline; stay current for Tahoe 26.x." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is weather included with iStat Menus 7?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Direct licenses include six months of weather. After that, purchase weather data packs or subscribe ($0.99 monthly / $4.99 yearly on the App Store). Non-weather monitoring features continue without a weather subscription." } } ], "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://bundl.run/apps/istat-menus" } } ] } ```