Better Resource Monitor, a macOS alternative to Stats and iStat Menus
CPU, memory, network, and GPU stats in the menu bar. No extra windows and no root helper.
What it shows
You get four menu bar metrics, and you can hide each one separately. In my Apple Silicon measurements, the app stays under 0.1% CPU and around 15 MB of memory. The binary is under 7 MB.
macOS Stats alternative
If you want menu bar stats without a root helper or private GPU APIs, Better Resource Monitor is a lighter alternative to Stats.
Better Resource Monitor is free. In my Apple Silicon measurements, it uses under 0.1% CPU and around 15 MB of memory. It gets GPU data through a public API and runs sandboxed without root privileges.
Stats is also free, but uses around 1% CPU and 50 MB of memory. Its GPU data comes from a private API, and it requires a root helper.
iStat Menus alternative
Better Resource Monitor covers CPU, memory, network, and GPU while staying sandboxed and App Store friendly. There is no price tag or root helper.
Better Resource Monitor is free. In my Apple Silicon measurements, it uses under 0.1% CPU and around 15 MB of memory. It gets GPU data through a public API and runs sandboxed without root privileges.
iStat Menus costs $14.99. It uses around 1% CPU and more than 100 MB of memory, gets GPU data through a proprietary API, and requires a root helper.
How it works
The app is built with Rust and Tauri. The CPU, memory, and network metrics come from the sysinfo crate. On Apple Silicon, GPU activity comes through IOAccelerator, a public IOKit API. That keeps the app sandboxed, with no private API or root helper, while GPU monitoring still works in the Mac App Store version.
No analytics or telemetry. The source is available under the MIT license.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a free iStat Menus alternative for macOS?
- Yes. Better Resource Monitor is free and open source, and it shows CPU, memory, network, and GPU metrics in the menu bar. In my Apple Silicon measurements, it stays under 0.1% CPU and around 15 MB of memory.
- How do I show CPU usage in the macOS menu bar?
- Install Better Resource Monitor, then enable the CPU metric in its settings. It can also show memory, network, and GPU stats, and you can hide each metric separately.
- Does Better Resource Monitor need root privileges?
- No. It runs sandboxed and gets GPU data through a public API, so there is no root helper.
- Is Better Resource Monitor open source and compatible with the Mac App Store?
- Yes. The source is available under the MIT license. It uses public IOKit GPU data, so it can run sandboxed and ship through the Mac App Store without a root helper.