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.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

iStat Menus

iStat Menus

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.

Categories:
cpu memory network temperature fan-speed battery menu-bar

IStat Menus Features

  1. Displays CPU usage
  2. Monitors memory usage
  3. Tracks network usage
  4. Measures disk activity
  5. Checks battery health
  6. Shows fan speeds
  7. Displays temperatures
  8. Alerts for issues

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

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

Activity Monitor

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.

Categories:
system monitoring resource-usage

Activity Monitor Features

  1. Real-time CPU usage monitoring
  2. Memory usage monitoring
  3. Disk activity monitoring
  4. Network activity monitoring
  5. Energy impact monitoring
  6. Process management

Pricing

  • Free

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