# Stats vs iStats Menus Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Stats is the top pick for most Mac users looking at system monitoring. It is free and open-source and installs in one Homebrew command. iStats Menus is the stronger choice if you want system monitor. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask stats and brew install --cask istat-menus. For most Mac users in 2026, Stats is the better choice for system monitoring 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 you want system monitor. ## Head to head | Factor | Stats | iStats Menus | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Paid | | Open Source | Yes | No | | Replaces | iStat Menus ($12) | — | | Best for | system, monitor, menu bar | system monitor, cpu, memory | | Install | brew install --cask stats | brew install --cask istat-menus | | Category | System Utilities | System Utilities | ## Stats System monitor for the menu bar Install: `brew install --cask stats` [Stats on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/stats) ## iStats Menus System monitoring app Install: `brew install --cask istat-menus` [iStats Menus on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/istat-menus) ## Features - **CPU/GPU Monitoring.** iStat Menus wins on per-core and Apple Silicon frequency detail; Stats covers the quick glance. - **Memory Monitoring.** iStat Menus exposes pressure, compression, and swap; Stats sticks to utilization and top processes. - **Disk Usage & Activity.** iStat Menus adds activity graphs, S.M.A.R.T., and per-app I/O; Stats is mainly free-space at a glance. - **Network Monitoring.** iStat Menus wins on history, per-app bandwidth, and connection detail; Stats wins on simple live rates plus jitter. - **Sensors & Fan Control.** iStat Menus owns sensors plus maintained fan curves; Stats is fine for passive temps, weak for fan control. - **Battery Monitoring.** iStat Menus covers the Mac battery plus Bluetooth accessories; Stats focuses on the internal pack. - **Date & Time / Weather.** iStat Menus wins for clocks, calendar, and weather; Stats only offers multi-zone time. - **Notifications/Alerts.** iStat Menus has a full rules engine; Stats offers a few fixed threshold alerts. ## FAQ ### Is one significantly more resource-intensive than the other? Stats is usually the lighter of the two, with a tiny disk footprint (about 2.2MB in commonly cited notes) and large savings if you disable unused modules. iStat Menus typically stays under 1% CPU and around 80-100MB of memory even with more graphs and sensors. For continuous use on modern Macs both are fine. Choose Stats if you want the smallest possible monitor; choose iStat Menus if you need the extra meters and can spare a modest memory budget. ### Which app offers better customization for the menu bar display? iStat Menus. Themes, colors, fonts, spacing, item order, stacked modes, and graph or pie displays go deeper than Stats' per-module format, color, and interval controls. Stats is flexible enough for clean bars and drag-and-drop order. iStat Menus is for people who treat the menu bar like a dashboard and want combined mode to reclaim space. ### Does either app support fan control, and how effective is it? iStat Menus has maintained, rule-based fan control tied to temperature and battery state, including gradual curves in the version 7 line. Stats can show fan speeds and temperatures, but fan control is legacy and not actively maintained, so reliability on new Macs is uncertain. Choose iStat Menus if fan curves are a must; choose Stats if you only need to read temperatures. ### Is the weather feature in iStat Menus worth the additional subscription? Weather includes current conditions, hourly forecasts, and weekly overviews, with six months included in the license and an optional paid continuation afterward. Worth it if you want weather inside the same menu-bar suite you already open for CPU graphs. Skip it if you already like a dedicated weather app, widget, or web glance and do not want another recurring charge. ### Which is better for Apple Silicon Macs, particularly for detailed core monitoring? iStat Menus. Per-core usage plus Apple Silicon frequency monitoring matches the performance and efficiency core design, and 7.3's super-core CPU support continues that hardware tracking. Stats shows solid overall CPU and GPU load for everyday checks but less of the hybrid-architecture detail enthusiasts and performance tuners want. ### How frequently are these applications updated and maintained? Both are actively maintained into 2026. Stats ships frequent open-source releases in the v3.0.x line through August 2026, with Tahoe menu-bar documentation on the project side. iStat Menus continues commercial point releases, including 7.3 on 14 May 2026. Stats updates are iterative and community-driven; iStat Menus updates are vendor-scheduled, with larger UI work landing in major versions such as the version 7 reboot. ### Is Stats a truly viable free alternative to the paid iStat Menus? Yes for everyday monitoring. Stats covers CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, and battery in a light free package that installs from GitHub or Homebrew. It will not match iStat Menus on weather, rules, S.M.A.R.T., or fan curves, but many people never need those. Start free; buy iStat Menus only when you hit a missing capability you actually use weekly. ### Can I get detailed per-app resource usage with both tools? iStat Menus is stronger: top apps for bandwidth, per-app disk use, and ranked memory consumers. Stats lists top memory processes and is thinner on per-app network and disk breakdowns. If your main question is which app is saturating the network or SSD, iStat Menus answers faster. ### What are the key differences in their UI design philosophy? Stats aims for clear, colorful, low-friction module toggles and sensible defaults. iStat Menus 7 aims for a denser, more designed commercial UI with stacked modes, combined views, and graph-heavy history. One is a free toolkit you thin out to taste; the other is a paid instrument panel you configure once and live in. ### How do recent updates (2025-2026) compare for both applications? Stats' 2026 work includes the v3.0.x release train, Tahoe menu-bar permission docs, and ongoing module fixes (network jitter and manual disk space refresh appeared in earlier 2026 notes). iStat Menus shipped the version 7 rebuild, mid-cycle visual work such as Liquid Glass icon support in 7.2-era notes, and 7.3 (14 May 2026) with super-core CPU support and network interface icon modes. Both are current; iStat Menus still leads on large feature landings while Stats leads on free rapid iteration. ### Is iStat Menus still updated in 2026? Yes. iStat Menus 7.3 shipped on 14 May 2026 with CPU super-core support and network menu-bar refinements. Bjango continues to maintain the 7.x line for modern macOS including Apple Silicon. ### Does Stats work on macOS Tahoe 26.x? Yes. Stats supports macOS 12 and newer and documents that Tahoe requires an explicit allow under System Settings → Menu Bar. If icons vanish after upgrade, fix the permission before reinstalling. Keep the app on the latest v3.x build for the newest OS quirks. ### Should I run Stats and iStat Menus at the same time? Not as a long-term setup. Both sample hardware sensors and draw menu-bar real estate. Running both increases energy use and makes it harder to know which app owns an icon or alert. Pick one primary monitor; use the other only briefly during a bake-off. ### Is the Setapp version of iStat Menus different from the direct license? Feature-wise you are still getting iStat Menus, but billing is through Setapp's monthly suite price (about $9.99/month for the catalog) instead of Bjango's one-time license. Choose Setapp if you already subscribe for other apps; choose a direct license if iStat Menus is the main purchase and you prefer one-time cost. ### What happens if I only care about CPU and memory? Install Stats, enable CPU and Memory, and leave the rest off. You will get the menus you glance at all day without paying for weather, fan curves, or S.M.A.R.T. graphs you will never open. Revisit iStat Menus only if those advanced meters become weekly tools rather than nice-to-have marketing bullets. ## Sources - [exelban/stats. GitHub](https://github.com/exelban/stats) - [iStat Menus. Bjango](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/) - [iStat Menus Version History](https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/versionhistory/) - [Stats vs iStat Menus vs FavTray (2026)](https://favtray.com/blog/stats-vs-istat-menus-vs-favtray/) - [iStat Menus alternative comparison. MacPulse](https://macpulse.app/compare-istat-menus.html) - [iStat Menus 7. App Store](https://apps.apple.com/ua/app/istat-menus-7/id6499559693?mt=12) - [Homebrew Cask stats](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/stats) ## Related - [MacPulse vs Stats](https://bundl.run/compare/macpulse-vs-stats) - [Stats vs eul](https://bundl.run/compare/stats-vs-eul) - [eul vs iStats Menus](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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For continuous use on modern Macs both are fine. Choose Stats if you want the smallest possible monitor; choose iStat Menus if you need the extra meters and can spare a modest memory budget." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which app offers better customization for the menu bar display?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "iStat Menus. Themes, colors, fonts, spacing, item order, stacked modes, and graph or pie displays go deeper than Stats' per-module format, color, and interval controls. Stats is flexible enough for clean bars and drag-and-drop order. iStat Menus is for people who treat the menu bar like a dashboard and want combined mode to reclaim space." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does either app support fan control, and how effective is it?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "iStat Menus has maintained, rule-based fan control tied to temperature and battery state, including gradual curves in the version 7 line. Stats can show fan speeds and temperatures, but fan control is legacy and not actively maintained, so reliability on new Macs is uncertain. Choose iStat Menus if fan curves are a must; choose Stats if you only need to read temperatures." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the weather feature in iStat Menus worth the additional subscription?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Weather includes current conditions, hourly forecasts, and weekly overviews, with six months included in the license and an optional paid continuation afterward. Worth it if you want weather inside the same menu-bar suite you already open for CPU graphs. Skip it if you already like a dedicated weather app, widget, or web glance and do not want another recurring charge." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which is better for Apple Silicon Macs, particularly for detailed core monitoring?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "iStat Menus. Per-core usage plus Apple Silicon frequency monitoring matches the performance and efficiency core design, and 7.3's super-core CPU support continues that hardware tracking. Stats shows solid overall CPU and GPU load for everyday checks but less of the hybrid-architecture detail enthusiasts and performance tuners want." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How frequently are these applications updated and maintained?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Both are actively maintained into 2026. Stats ships frequent open-source releases in the v3.0.x line through August 2026, with Tahoe menu-bar documentation on the project side. iStat Menus continues commercial point releases, including 7.3 on 14 May 2026. Stats updates are iterative and community-driven; iStat Menus updates are vendor-scheduled, with larger UI work landing in major versions such as the version 7 reboot." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Stats a truly viable free alternative to the paid iStat Menus?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes for everyday monitoring. Stats covers CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, and battery in a light free package that installs from GitHub or Homebrew. It will not match iStat Menus on weather, rules, S.M.A.R.T., or fan curves, but many people never need those. Start free; buy iStat Menus only when you hit a missing capability you actually use weekly." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I get detailed per-app resource usage with both tools?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "iStat Menus is stronger: top apps for bandwidth, per-app disk use, and ranked memory consumers. Stats lists top memory processes and is thinner on per-app network and disk breakdowns. If your main question is which app is saturating the network or SSD, iStat Menus answers faster." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What are the key differences in their UI design philosophy?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Stats aims for clear, colorful, low-friction module toggles and sensible defaults. iStat Menus 7 aims for a denser, more designed commercial UI with stacked modes, combined views, and graph-heavy history. One is a free toolkit you thin out to taste; the other is a paid instrument panel you configure once and live in." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do recent updates (2025-2026) compare for both applications?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Stats' 2026 work includes the v3.0.x release train, Tahoe menu-bar permission docs, and ongoing module fixes (network jitter and manual disk space refresh appeared in earlier 2026 notes). iStat Menus shipped the version 7 rebuild, mid-cycle visual work such as Liquid Glass icon support in 7.2-era notes, and 7.3 (14 May 2026) with super-core CPU support and network interface icon modes. Both are current; iStat Menus still leads on large feature landings while Stats leads on free rapid iteration." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is iStat Menus still updated in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. iStat Menus 7.3 shipped on 14 May 2026 with CPU super-core support and network menu-bar refinements. Bjango continues to maintain the 7.x line for modern macOS including Apple Silicon." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Stats work on macOS Tahoe 26.x?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Stats supports macOS 12 and newer and documents that Tahoe requires an explicit allow under System Settings → Menu Bar. If icons vanish after upgrade, fix the permission before reinstalling. Keep the app on the latest v3.x build for the newest OS quirks." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I run Stats and iStat Menus at the same time?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Not as a long-term setup. Both sample hardware sensors and draw menu-bar real estate. Running both increases energy use and makes it harder to know which app owns an icon or alert. Pick one primary monitor; use the other only briefly during a bake-off." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the Setapp version of iStat Menus different from the direct license?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Feature-wise you are still getting iStat Menus, but billing is through Setapp's monthly suite price (about $9.99/month for the catalog) instead of Bjango's one-time license. Choose Setapp if you already subscribe for other apps; choose a direct license if iStat Menus is the main purchase and you prefer one-time cost." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if I only care about CPU and memory?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Install Stats, enable CPU and Memory, and leave the rest off. You will get the menus you glance at all day without paying for weather, fan curves, or S.M.A.R.T. graphs you will never open. 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A program called Stats, which lets you monitor CPU temperature, fan speed", "thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eN5036_Tjvc/mqdefault.jpg", "uploadDate": "2025-02-10T21:30:06Z", "duration": "PT32S", "embedUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/eN5036_Tjvc", "interactionStatistic": { "@type": "InteractionCounter", "interactionType": "https://schema.org/WatchAction", "userInteractionCount": 26746 } } } ], "numberOfItems": 4 } ] } ```