MacPulse
System monitoring dashboard with historical analytics
Quick Take: MacPulse
MacPulse distinguishes itself in a crowded field by focusing on what other monitors miss — historical analytics. If you've ever wondered 'why was my Mac slow yesterday?', MacPulse has the answer.
Best For
- •Developers diagnosing intermittent performance issues
- •Users who want data-driven insights into Mac usage
- •IT teams managing multiple Mac workstations
Install with Homebrew
brew install --cask macpulseWhat is MacPulse?
MacPulse is a system monitoring dashboard for macOS that goes beyond real-time metrics by providing historical analytics. While most Mac system monitors show you what's happening right now, MacPulse records CPU, memory, disk, network, and battery data over time, giving you a complete picture of your Mac's performance trends. It's designed for users who want to understand their Mac's behavior patterns, diagnose intermittent issues, and optimize their workflow based on data.
Key Features
Historical Analytics
Track system performance over hours, days, and weeks with interactive charts. Identify trends, correlate performance dips with specific activities, and spot resource-hungry patterns.
Real-Time Dashboard
A clean, at-a-glance view of CPU, memory, disk I/O, network throughput, and battery status with color-coded health indicators.
Process Monitor
View running processes sorted by resource usage with the ability to identify and manage resource-hungry applications.
Smart Alerts
Configure alerts for CPU spikes, memory pressure, disk space thresholds, and battery health events to catch issues proactively.
Export & Reports
Export performance data as CSV or generate visual reports for documenting system issues or justifying hardware upgrades.
Who Should Use MacPulse?
1Developer Debugging Performance
A developer notices their build times have gotten slower. MacPulse's historical view shows CPU usage patterns over the past week, revealing that a background process started consuming excessive resources after a recent update.
2Content Creator
A video editor wonders why their Mac feels sluggish during certain hours. MacPulse reveals that cloud sync services peak during those times, competing with their editing software for disk I/O.
3Sysadmin Managing Macs
An IT administrator reviews MacPulse reports from team members' machines to identify which workstations need RAM upgrades or are approaching disk capacity limits.
Install MacPulse on Mac
MacPulse is available through Homebrew for easy installation on macOS.
Install Homebrew
If you don't have Homebrew, open your terminal and run: `/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"`
Install MacPulse
Run `brew install --cask macpulse` in your terminal.
Launch & Monitor
Open MacPulse and it will immediately begin monitoring and recording your system's performance metrics.
Pro Tips
- • Grant MacPulse Full Disk Access for complete disk monitoring coverage.
- • Historical data accumulates over time — the longer you run MacPulse, the more useful its analytics become.
Configuration Tips
Set Meaningful Alert Thresholds
Configure alerts based on your typical usage. For example, set a CPU alert at 90% sustained for 5+ minutes to catch genuine issues without false alarms.
Review Weekly Reports
Schedule weekly reviews of MacPulse analytics to catch gradual performance degradation before it becomes critical.
Alternatives to MacPulse
Several system monitoring tools are available for macOS, each with different strengths.
Stats
Stats is a free, open-source menu bar monitor with real-time metrics. It's lighter but lacks MacPulse's historical analytics and alerting features.
eul
eul provides SwiftUI-based system monitoring. It's elegant and lightweight but focuses on current metrics rather than historical trends.
iStat Menus
iStat Menus is a premium, feature-rich system monitor. It offers more visualization options but at a paid price point.
Pricing
MacPulse is free to use with all core features included.
Pros
- ✓Historical analytics set it apart from other monitors
- ✓Smart alerts catch issues proactively
- ✓Export and reporting features for documentation
- ✓Clean, modern dashboard design
- ✓Lightweight background operation
Cons
- ✗Newer than established alternatives like iStat Menus
- ✗Historical data requires disk space over time
- ✗Some advanced features may require permissions setup
Community & Support
MacPulse is supported through its official website with documentation and contact options for bug reports and feature requests.
Frequently Asked Questions about MacPulse
Our Verdict
MacPulse distinguishes itself in a crowded field by focusing on what other monitors miss — historical analytics. If you've ever wondered 'why was my Mac slow yesterday?', MacPulse has the answer.
About the Author
Productivity & Workflow Analyst
Expert Tips for MacPulse
The most valuable MacPulse feature for developers is correlating build times with historical CPU/memory data to identify background processes that steal resources.
Related Technologies & Concepts
Related Topics
System Monitoring
Tools for tracking Mac hardware performance and resource usage.