Comparison
Mac menu bar system monitors compared: Stats, iStat Menus, TG Pro, Hot and ThermPort
Disclosure first: we make ThermPort, one of the apps below. We have tried to keep this comparison factual, to say where the others are better, and to recommend them where they are the right choice. Prices and features are as of October 2026; check each site for the current version.
The short version
- Want it free? Stats. Hot if you only care about temperature and throttling.
- Want the most features? iStat Menus. Nothing else comes close in breadth.
- Want to control the fans? TG Pro, or Macs Fan Control.
- Want something small, with temperature in the bar and long-term history and reports? ThermPort.
Side by side
| Stats | Hot | iStat Menus | TG Pro | ThermPort | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Free, open source | $11.99 one-time | Around $20, often discounted | $9.99 one-time ($6.99 at launch) |
| Intel Macs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, Apple Silicon only |
| CPU temperature in the menu bar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, plus thermal pressure state |
| Fan speed | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes (rpm or %) |
| Fan control | No | No | Yes, rules | Yes, the most complete | No, read-only by design |
| Other metrics | CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, battery, Bluetooth, clock and more | Throttling indicator | Everything, plus weather, calendar, combined menus | Temperatures, fans, diagnostics | CPU, memory, GPU, battery, network, disk, power, Wi‑Fi |
| Long-term history and reports | No | No | Short history in menus | Logging | 400 days of 1-minute history, PDF/HTML reports, emailed on a schedule |
| Memory footprint | Depends on modules | Tiny | Depends on modules | Moderate | About 15 MB |
| Trial | n/a | n/a | 14 days | Yes | 14 days, full features |
Stats
Open source, free, and very capable. Every module is optional and deeply configurable, from the graph style to the exact sensors shown, which is both its strength and its cost: most people spend a while in its settings. It supports Intel and Apple Silicon and is actively developed. If you want a free monitor and do not mind setup, start here.
Hot
A small open-source app that shows the CPU temperature and whether the CPU is currently throttled, and nothing else. If that is the only question you have, Hot answers it for free with almost no footprint.
iStat Menus
The veteran of the category, now at version 7 and $11.99 one-time after years as a subscription option. It shows more than any other app here: sensors, fans with control rules, CPU, GPU, memory, disks, network, battery, a weather module and a calendar, with combined menus and endless notification options. The price of that breadth is a busier interface and a larger app. For power users who want one tool for everything, it is still the reference.
TG Pro
Focused on temperatures and fans. Where the other apps read the fans, TG Pro drives them: auto-boost rules, custom curves, and diagnostics for individual sensors and fans. If your goal is to keep a MacBook Pro cooler at the expense of noise, or to diagnose a suspect fan, it is the right tool. For general system monitoring it is narrower than the others.
ThermPort
Our app, so judge the following accordingly. ThermPort shows ten metrics in the menu bar, temperature first, each with a live chart and the details behind the number, and it is built to stay small: about 15 MB resident, no daemon, no kernel extension. The thing none of the others do is keep history: one-minute averages for about 400 days, turned into PDF or HTML reports with an activity timeline, which it can email you weekly. It is Apple Silicon only, read-only (no fan control), and sold directly with a 14-day trial for $9.99, $6.99 at launch. If you have an Intel Mac or want fan control, pick one of the others.
Why none of them is on the Mac App Store
Temperature, fan speed and power consumption come from Apple's private sensor interfaces and the SMC. The App Store sandbox does not permit either, so every app in this category is distributed by its developer, signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple. That is normal for this kind of software and not a mark against any of them.
Frequently asked questions
Which Mac menu bar monitor is free?
Stats and Hot are free and open source. Macs Fan Control is free for monitoring and paid for fan control. iStat Menus, TG Pro and ThermPort are paid one-time purchases.
Which one can control the fans?
TG Pro and Macs Fan Control are built for it, and iStat Menus includes fan rules. Stats, Hot and ThermPort read fan speed but do not change it.
Which menu bar monitor uses the least memory?
Hot is tiny because it does one thing. Among the full monitors, ThermPort is built around a small footprint of about 15 MB. Measure on your own Mac: Activity Monitor shows every app's memory, and the figures change with how many modules you enable.
Why is none of these on the Mac App Store?
Reading temperature, fan speed and power needs Apple's private sensor interfaces and the SMC, which the App Store sandbox does not allow. All of these apps are distributed directly by their developers and notarized by Apple.
ThermPort puts CPU temperature, fan speed, memory, power and more in your Mac's menu bar in a 15 MB app. 14-day free trial, one-time purchase, Apple Silicon only.
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