5 Best Mac Performance Monitors in 2023

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Peter Aaron
Last updated: Sep 22, 2022

Want to know your system status in real-time? All you need is a Mac Performance Monitor. Here are 5 of the best ones worth checking out. Go see which one suits you best.

Every app and process running in the background is using your precious resources. When resources are exhausted, you may find your Mac is slow, lagging, or unresponsive.

It is necessary to monitor your system status so that you can be the first to notice when system resources are about to be exhausted.

There are tons of monitoring software for Mac on the internet, but it can be hard to choose which one is right for you. That's why we created this article, where you'll find 5 of the best Mac performance monitoring tools.

Let's take a closer look at them.

5 Best Mac Performance Monitors

1. Activity Monitor

When it comes to monitoring Mac system status, we have to mention Activity Monitor, a free tool built into macOS. It shows the various resources in use on the system, such as CPU, memory, energy, disk, and network. Since it is an official tool, it wins most of the users who are looking for a Mac performance monitor.

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Pros:

  • Free and easy to use.
  • Displays various system resources in use.
  • Quickly stop unwanted processes.

Cons

  • Unable to display system status in the menu bar.
  • Cannot monitor disk space usage.

2. Stats

Stats is a free and open-source Mac performance monitor. Unlike Activity Monitor, Stats can display a variety of system resources in the menu bar in real-time, including CPU, memory, disk, battery, Bluetooth, network, etc. Clicking on the number it displays in the menu bar will reveal more detailed information.

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Pros:

  • Free and open source.
  • All information shown in the menu bar.
  • Fast data refresh rate.
  • Quickly open Activity Monitor.

Cons

  • No Disk Cleanup feature.
  • Outdated UI.

3. BuhoCleaner

Another tool worth checking out is BuhoCleaner. Its BuhoCleaner Menu feature allows you to display the system resources in use in the menu bar and dashboard. From CPU load and temperature, disk and memory usage to fans and network speed, BuhoCleaner Menu covers them all. The best part about this tool is that when you run out of memory space, you can free it with one click.

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Pros:

  • Free and super easy to use.
  • Monitor system status in real-time in the menu bar.
  • Free up RAM with one click.
  • Quickly clean up your disk.
  • Visualize your disk space.

Cons

  • Limited monitoring features.

4. iStatistica Pro

As the name suggests, iStatistica Pro is a professional Mac system monitor. What sets it apart from its competitors is its dashboard, where you can find all the details about CPU, memory, disk, battery, graphics, and more. In addition, you'll be notified when your memory and CPU resources are about to run out.

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Pros:

  • Powerful features and detailed data.
  • Visualizes your disk and folder.
  • Comprehensive monitoring of resources in use on your system.
  • Ability to compare CPU, memory and GPU utilization and usage.

Cons

  • 20-day free trial.
  • Misleadingly delete folders that are not allowed to be deleted.

5. iStat Menu

iStat Menus is also one of the best monitoring software for Mac. Not only does it allow you to check your system status in real-time in the menu bar, but you can also personalize the display colors. If you do not want to view the system resource usage, you can also stop monitoring with one click. More importantly, it can help you check the weather, which is the biggest difference from other products.

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Pros:

  • Can view data in the menu bar.
  • Keeps track of temperature and time.
  • Allows you to customize the display colors.

Cons

  • Can try it free for 14 days.
  • Outdated UI and UX.
  • No Disk Cleanup feature.

Conclusion

Now you have 5 of the best Mac performance monitors to try. Which one do you like best and want to give it a try first?

As you can see, they all have advantages and disadvantages. As for which one is best for you, it depends on your needs. If you're looking for a tool with monitoring and cleaning features, we think BuhoCleaner might be the best choice for you. What do you think?