iStat Menus vs Activity Monitor

Struggling to choose between iStat Menus and Activity Monitor? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

iStat Menus is a System & Hardware solution with tags like cpu, memory, network, temperature, fan-speed, battery, menu-bar.

It boasts features such as Displays CPU usage, Monitors memory usage, Tracks network usage, Measures disk activity, Checks battery health, Shows fan speeds, Displays temperatures, Alerts for issues and pros including Comprehensive system monitoring, Easy to access stats in menu bar, Customizable interface, Wide range of metrics.

On the other hand, Activity Monitor is a System & Hardware product tagged with system, monitoring, resource-usage.

Its standout features include Real-time CPU usage monitoring, Memory usage monitoring, Disk activity monitoring, Network activity monitoring, Energy impact monitoring, Process management, and it shines with pros like Built-in macOS utility, Easy to use graphical interface, Can help diagnose system performance issues, Can view detailed process information, Can quit/force quit processes.

Feature	iStat Menus	Activity Monitor
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	System & Hardware	System & Hardware

Product Overview

iStat Menus

Description: iStat Menus is a system monitoring app for Mac that displays various hardware and system statistics in the macOS menu bar. It monitors CPU, memory, network usage, temperatures, fan speeds, battery health, and more.

Activity Monitor

Description: Activity Monitor is a system monitoring and profiling utility that comes built-in with macOS. It allows users to monitor system resource usage and activity in real-time.

Key Features Comparison

iStat Menus Features

• Displays CPU usage
• Monitors memory usage
• Tracks network usage
• Measures disk activity
• Checks battery health
• Shows fan speeds
• Displays temperatures
• Alerts for issues

Activity Monitor Features

• Real-time CPU usage monitoring
• Memory usage monitoring
• Disk activity monitoring
• Network activity monitoring
• Energy impact monitoring
• Process management

Pros & Cons Analysis

iStat Menus

Pros

• Comprehensive system monitoring
• Easy to access stats in menu bar
• Customizable interface
• Wide range of metrics

Cons

• Fairly expensive for basic functionality
• Can slow down older Macs
• Some stats may be confusing for average users

Activity Monitor

Pros

• Built-in macOS utility
• Easy to use graphical interface
• Can help diagnose system performance issues
• Can view detailed process information
• Can quit/force quit processes

Cons

• Limited customization options
• Can only view current state, no historical data
• Requires technical knowledge to interpret data

Pricing Comparison

iStat Menus

• Subscription-Based

Activity Monitor

• Free