TL;DR
eul vs iStats Menus: For most Mac users in 2026, eul is the better choice for System monitors because it is free and open source, so you can inspect, self-host, and trust the code. Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose iStats Menus instead if system monitor support is your priority.
Which is better: eul or iStats Menus?
eul is the top pick for most Mac users looking at System monitors — it is free and open-source and installs in one Homebrew command. iStats Menus is the stronger choice if you prefer its System monitors ecosystem. Both are worth trying.
eul vs iStats Menus
Which is the better System monitors for Mac in 2026?
We compared eul and iStats Menus across 6 key factors including price, open-source status, and community adoption. Read our full breakdown below.
eul
macOS status monitoring app
iStats Menus
System monitoring app
Visual Comparison
eul
eul — Official Website
Our Verdict
For most Mac users in 2026, eul is the better choice for System monitors because it is free and open source, so you can inspect, self-host, and trust the code. Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose iStats Menus instead if system monitor support is your priority.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | eul | iStats Menus |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Paid |
| Open Source | Yes | No |
| Replaces | iStat Menus 7 ($18) | — |
| Best for | system, monitor, menu bar | system monitor, cpu, memory |
| Install | brew install --cask eul | brew install --cask istat-menus |
| Category | System Utilities | System Utilities |
Quick Install
brew install --cask eulbrew install --cask istat-menusLearn More
In-Depth Overview
What is eul?
eul is a free and open-source macOS status monitoring app written in Swift and SwiftUI by Gao Sun and now community-maintained at github.com/gao-sun/eul. It displays CPU, memory, network, disk, battery and temperature/fan data as compact graphs and text in the menu bar, with dropdowns that reveal more detail without the clutter of full system dashboards. It is distributed via GitHub Releases and Homebrew (brew install --cask eul), is notarized for macOS Tahoe 26.x, and runs natively on Intel and Apple Silicon. The project emphasises privacy (no telemetry, no account), low overhead, and visual elegance inspired by native macOS design. While the original maintainer paused active development, the codebase remains open, buildable in Xcode, and functional on Tahoe with community patches addressing sensor API changes. For many users in 2026, eul is the definitive free alternative to paid menu bar monitors.
What is iStat Menus?
iStat Menus by Bjango is the longstanding commercial menu bar system monitor for macOS, in continuous development since 2007 and rebuilt for Apple Silicon and Tahoe 26.x. It monitors CPU (per-core usage and history, GPU utilisation where available), memory pressure, network throughput with 30-day history, disks, sensors (temperatures, fans, battery cycles), and optionally time and weather, all with highly customisable menu bar items, graph styles, colours and dropdown detail levels. It is sold directly at bjango.com and via the Mac App Store, with a code-signed, notarized installer and frequent updates for new Mac models and macOS point releases. In August 2026, pricing is $11.99 for a single license, $14.99 for a family pack up to five Macs, $9.99/$12.99 discounted upgrades, or included in Setapp's $9.99 per month subscription for 250+ apps. The support is commercial and responsive, with documentation covering every sensor and graph type.
Detailed Feature Comparison
Menu bar coverage
HighCovers CPU, memory, network, disk, battery, fans and temperature in a compact unified view. Emphasises glanceable graphs over exhaustive toggles; you get the essentials without configuring dozens of items.
Covers CPU per-core, GPU, memory pressure, network with long history, disks with free-space graphs, sensors, battery, time and weather. Each item is individually configurable with colours, graphs and dropdown depth.
Verdict: iStat Menus monitors more subsystems and exposes more history per item.
Design and macOS integration
HighNative SwiftUI design that feels like a first-party macOS feature: translucent dropdowns, SF Symbols, smooth animations and careful typography. Quits cleanly with no menu bar residue.
Equally native but more customisable: every graph style, colour and ordering is tweakable. Also notarized, Touch Bar-aware and deeply integrated with Notification Center widgets.
Verdict: eul wins on minimal elegance out of the box; iStat Menus wins on configurability.
Performance and battery
HighWritten in Swift with minimal overhead. Polling intervals are sensible by default and the app idles near zero CPU. Ideal for MacBook Air users who monitor without paying a battery tax.
Highly optimised despite its breadth, but broader sensor polling and graph rendering use slightly more CPU at high refresh rates. Still efficient on Apple Silicon, with adjustable polling to trade detail for battery.
Verdict: eul is lighter at default settings; iStat Menus can be tuned to match but defaults to more work.
Sensor depth and history
HighShows core sensors and fan speeds where macOS exposes them, with basic history graphs. New Apple Silicon sensor changes occasionally require community patches to restore readings.
Deepest sensor coverage on the Mac: per-core CPU and GPU history, extensive temperature sensors, fan control visibility, disk health and 30-day network history. Bjango ships model-specific updates quickly when Apple changes hardware.
Verdict: For exhaustive hardware visibility, iStat Menus is unmatched.
Pricing
High$0 free and open source, MIT licensed. No subscription, no license key, no feature gate. Updates via GitHub Releases and Homebrew.
$11.99 single, $14.99 family up to 5 Macs, $9.99/$12.99 discounted upgrades from previous licenses. Also available via Setapp at $9.99 per month for 250+ apps. One-time license covers point updates with paid upgrades for major versions.
Verdict: eul wins outright on price; iStat Menus charges a modest one-time fee for depth and support.
Openness and privacy
MediumFully open source on GitHub, no telemetry, no account, buildable from source in Xcode. Privacy by architecture.
Commercial closed source but privacy-respecting with no ads and no telemetry beyond license validation. Not auditable but reputation is strong.
Verdict: eul's openness is its trust advantage.
Maintenance and Tahoe 26.x support
MediumCommunity-maintained after original author pause. Works on Tahoe 26.x and Apple Silicon, but sensor fixes for new Mac models can lag behind commercial updates.
Bjango provides prompt compatibility updates for each macOS point release and new hardware, with model-specific sensor profiles and dedicated support channels.
Verdict: iStat Menus is more reliably current for the latest hardware and macOS releases.
Customisation
MediumOffers essential toggles for which components appear and how, but intentionally limits options to preserve simplicity. No plugin system.
Extensive settings for graph types, colours, ordering, refresh intervals, combined versus separate items, and dropdown detail levels. Feels like a system preferences pane for your menu bar.
Verdict: Power customisers will prefer iStat Menus; minimalists will prefer eul's restraint.
Who Should Choose Which?
1The MacBook Air student
You want a beautiful, free monitor that sips battery and shows CPU, memory and network without complexity.
2The iOS engineer profiling compiles
Per-core CPU history and GPU visibility help you correlate Xcode builds with thermal throttling.
3The privacy-first freelancer
Open source, no telemetry and no account satisfy strict privacy requirements.
4The IT admin supporting a fleet of Macs
Model-specific sensors, 30-day network history and commercial support simplify troubleshooting across hardware generations.
5The Setapp subscriber
If you already pay $9.99 per month for Setapp: iStat Menus is included at no extra cost.
Migration Guide
Eul → Istat Menus
Install iStat Menus from bjango.com or the Mac App Store, grant system monitoring permissions, and enable the CPU, memory and network items you relied on in eul. Import no data is needed, configure graph colours and dropdown detail to match eul's minimalism or embrace the extra depth.
Istat Menus → Eul
Install eul via brew install --cask eul or GitHub Release, grant permissions, and select the component set you need. eul will not migrate iStat Menus settings, recreate your preferred graph layout manually in eul's single preferences window.
Pro Tips
Whichever you keep, keep only one menu bar monitor active to avoid duplicate polling and clutter. Set matching polling intervals when comparing battery impact head-to-head.
Final Verdict
Tie
Winner
Runner-up
In August 2026 eul and iStat Menus are both excellent, the split is philosophy, not quality. Choose eul if you value free, open-source minimalism, low battery impact and native SwiftUI elegance for core CPU, memory, network and sensor glanceability. Choose iStat Menus if you need exhaustive hardware visibility, per-core and GPU history, 30-day network graphs, weather and the assurance that Bjango will ship a sensor profile for the newest Mac within weeks. With eul at $0 and iStat Menus at a modest $11.99 one-time, there is no financial risk in trying both for a week and letting your menu bar decide.
Bottom Line: Free and minimal: eul. Deep and customisable: iStat Menus.
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Frequently Asked Questions
About the Author
Explore More on Bundl
Browse System monitors apps, read our complete guide, or discover curated bundles.
Expert Insights
For MacBook Air users who check CPU and network briefly and otherwise want silence, eul's low idle overhead is the more battery-friendly default.
If you need to correlate a specific core's thermal behaviour with an Xcode compile or Docker build, iStat Menus's per-core history justifies its small one-time price.
Sources & References
Key Verified Facts
- eul is free MIT open source written in SwiftUI at github.com/gao-sun/eul.[eul-github, eul-computingforgeeks]
- iStat Menus pricing in 2026 is $11.99 single, $14.99 family up to 5 Macs, upgrades $9.99/$12.99, or via Setapp at $9.99 per month.[istat-official, istat-setapp]
- Both apps are Apple Silicon-native, notarized and work on macOS Tahoe 26.x.[eul-github, istat-official]
- eul is lighter at idle than iStat Menus with its default sensor polling.[eul-medevel, istat-thesweetbits]
- 1gao-sun/eul: GitHub
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Free open-source macOS status monitoring app written in SwiftUI."
- 2Bjango: iStat Menus
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Official pricing Single $11.99, Family $14.99, upgrades $9.99/$12.99; features and Tahoe support."
- 3ComputingForGeeks: How To Monitor macOS resource usage using eul
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Guide to installing and using eul on macOS."
- 4Medevel: Eul free open-source status monitoring app for macOS
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Overview of eul features and open-source status."
- 5Setapp: iStat Menus
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"iStat Menus available in Setapp at $9.99 per month for 250+ apps."
- 6Macworld: iStat Menus Review
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Independent review of iStat Menus design and system monitoring depth."
- 7TheSweetBits: iStat Menus Review
Accessed Aug 9, 2026
"Detailed review of iStat Menus customization and sensor coverage."