Stats

Open source alternative to iStat Menus, iStatistica and MenuBar Stats

43.2K stars
MIT
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 7, 2026

Monitor CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, sensors, battery, and Bluetooth from your macOS menu bar, free and open source under MIT.

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Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who Stats is for#

Mac users replacing iStat Menus or MenuBar Stats

If you are on Setapp and want to drop one more subscription, or you paid for iStat Menus and want a free replacement on a new machine, Stats covers the same feature set with no license cost. The 13 widget styles give you comparable display options without the per-seat pricing.

Skip if:

If you rely on iStat Menus' notification and alerting system for disk space warnings or CPU threshold alerts, Stats does not currently offer that feature and may not meet your monitoring needs.

Developers monitoring CPU and memory during local builds

Stats shows a live list of the most demanding processes in the CPU module's dropdown. During a large compile, a Docker build, or a Webpack bundle, you can glance at the menu bar and see exactly which process is saturating the CPU or RAM without opening Activity Monitor.

Skip if:

If you need process-level memory accounting and flame graph integration, a dedicated profiler like Xcode Instruments is a more appropriate tool than a menu bar monitor.

Home lab operators monitoring a headless Mac server

The headless SSH install configures Stats as a remote monitoring agent linked to the System Stats web dashboard. For a Mac mini running as a home server, you get CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, and network metrics visible from any browser without needing screen access to the machine.

Skip if:

Stats requires an active macOS user session (a locked screen is acceptable, but a session must exist). On a fully headless machine with no logged-in user, Stats will not start until the next login.

the problem

The problem it solves#

Paid macOS menu bar monitors charge for access to system data the OS exposes freely. iStat Menus, MenuBar Stats, and iStatistica all require paid licenses for their full feature sets. For Mac users who want to know their CPU temperature, track upload and download speeds, or watch battery cycle count at a glance, paying for a widget that reads publicly accessible hardware data feels like a poor trade.

The challenge gets worse when a macOS update breaks a paid app and there is no source code to investigate or patch. Users wait on a commercial vendor to issue a fix, with no recourse if development slows.

how Stats solves it

How it solves it#

Nine independent monitoring modules

Covers CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, sensors, battery, Bluetooth, and clock as nine modules that can each be enabled, disabled, or configured separately. Show only the data you need in the menu bar without filling it with unused widgets.

13 customizable widget styles

Every module supports multiple display styles: mini line chart, bar chart, pie chart, gauge, speed label, dot, text, and more. Combine widget types from different modules, reorder them, and color them independently to match the information density and visual style that suits your workflow.

Apple Silicon and Intel support

Runs natively on M1, M2, M3, and later Apple Silicon chips as well as Intel Macs. The sensors module reads SMC data for the specific chip in use, so CPU core temperatures, GPU utilization, and fan speeds reflect the actual hardware on macOS 12 and newer.

Bluetooth device battery tracking

Shows the battery percentage of connected Bluetooth accessories: keyboards, mice, headphones, and other paired devices. Data appears in the menu bar or in the Bluetooth module's dropdown, so you see a battery warning before a keyboard or mouse dies mid-session.

Remote monitoring via web dashboard

The headless SSH install script configures Stats as a remote monitoring agent linked to the System Stats web dashboard. Run the script over SSH and Stats streams CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, and network metrics to a web interface accessible from any device, without needing screen access to the Mac.

No telemetry or analytics

Stats makes two external requests: update checks against mac-stats.com and GitHub, and a request to retrieve the public IP address for the network module's display. No usage data, crash reports, or analytics are collected. Both endpoints can be blocked through a network filter if you want to disable even those requests.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

MIT license, completely freeEvery feature is available at no cost under the MIT license. No paid tier, no feature gating, and no ads. You can inspect, fork, and modify the source code without restriction. Compared to iStat Menus (paid license) or iStatistica (paid upgrade), Stats costs nothing and places no commercial constraints on use.
43,000+ stars, seven years of active developmentThe repository has 43,202 stars and 1,620 forks, with the last push recorded in November 2026. The project has been actively maintained since May 2019, shipping updates that track macOS changes including Apple Silicon support and new SoC sensor keys. That longevity means macOS compatibility issues are caught and fixed quickly.
100 million downloads, 41 languagesThe product site reports over 100 million downloads. The app ships in 41 translated languages, contributed and maintained by community members. For teams or households with non-English speakers, the UI is already localized rather than relying on machine translation.
Direct hardware sensor accessReads temperature, voltage, power, and fan-speed sensors from the Mac's SMC without proxying through third-party APIs. This gives Stats first-party access to the same hardware data sources commercial menu bar monitors use, with no additional permission or background service required beyond the app itself.

Trade-offs

-Fan control is in legacy modeThe fan control feature no longer receives updates or bug fixes. It works acceptably on older Intel Macs but is not supported for new hardware or macOS releases. If fan curve management is your primary need, Stats is not the right choice; a dedicated fan control tool is more appropriate.
-macOS desktop widgets need a manual toggleDesktop widgets (the macOS widget layer, not the menu bar items) are disabled by default due to a known issue with high data load in the system process (chronod). To enable them, open Stats Settings and toggle the macOS widgets option on. This step is not obvious on first use.
-macOS 26 requires an explicit menu bar permissionmacOS 26 added a privacy control under System Settings that requires apps to be explicitly allowed to show menu bar items. If Stats icons do not appear after install, navigate to System Settings and toggle Stats on. This applies to any app using the menu bar API, but it is a friction point on first setup under macOS 26.
-Open source but not open contributionThe developer does not review or merge unsolicited pull requests because testing across Mac models and macOS versions takes more time than writing the feature. For teams that need to patch the app themselves, the MIT license allows forks, but changes will not land upstream without an issue discussion first.

versus alternatives

Stats vs alternatives#

Stats vs iStat Menus

Stats and iStat Menus cover the same monitoring ground: CPU load, GPU utilization, RAM pressure, disk activity, network throughput, temperature sensors, fan speeds, and battery health in the macOS menu bar. The central difference is licensing.

Feature	Stats	iStat Menus
License	MIT (free)	Paid license
Source code	Open source on GitHub	Closed source
Apple Silicon	Yes	Yes
CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, sensors, battery	Yes	Yes
Widget styles	13	Multiple
Remote web monitoring	Yes	No

Stats is the better fit when cost is a constraint, when you want to inspect or fork the source code, or when you need remote web-based monitoring for a Mac server. iStat Menus is worth considering if you rely on its notification and alerting system for threshold-based warnings, which Stats does not currently offer.

Stats vs iStatistica

iStatistica is a paid macOS app with animated widgets covering CPU, GPU, memory, network, disk, battery, and sensors in the menu bar.

Feature	Stats	iStatistica
License	MIT (free)	Paid
Widget styles	13 configurable	Animated widgets
Translations	41 languages	Varies
Remote monitoring	Yes	No

Stats is the clearer choice for users who do not want to pay for a menu bar monitor and need broad language support. iStatistica is worth considering if you prefer its animated widget display style.

Stats vs MenuBar Stats

MenuBar Stats is a paid macOS app displaying CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, battery, and sensor stats with customizable compact widgets.

Feature	Stats	MenuBar Stats
License	MIT (free)	Paid
Modules	9	Varies
Translations	41 languages	Varies

Stats matches MenuBar Stats' feature set at no cost, with open source code and broader language coverage. MenuBar Stats may suit users who are already customers and prefer its specific compact widget layout without switching tools.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install Stats on macOS using Homebrew or download the signed .dmg installer.
```bash
brew install stats
```
Or download the signed installer from GitHub Releases: https://github.com/exelban/stats/releases/latest

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: CC++Objective-CPythonSwift

frequently asked

FAQ#

How do I install Stats on macOS?

The recommended path is Homebrew: run brew install stats in Terminal. Alternatively, download Stats.dmg from https://github.com/exelban/stats/releases/latest, open it, and drag Stats to the Applications folder. For headless SSH installation with remote monitoring enabled, the README provides a one-line curl script. Stats requires macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer; a legacy build for older versions is available at mac-stats.com/downloads.

Does Stats collect any telemetry or send usage data?

No. Stats makes two types of external requests: update checks against mac-stats.com and GitHub, and a request to mac-stats.com to retrieve your public IP address for the network module's display. No analytics, crash reports, or usage data are sent. If you want to block these requests entirely, disable the public IP display in the network module settings and block both endpoints with a network filter tool like Little Snitch.

How do I change the order of Stats icons in the menu bar?

macOS controls menu bar icon order, not Stats. To reorder any menu bar icon on macOS Mojave (10.14) and later, hold the Command key and drag the icon to the desired position, then release Command. The order may also change on its own after the first reboot following a Stats install.

Why do Stats icons not appear in the menu bar after install?

On macOS 26, a new privacy control under System Settings requires apps to be explicitly allowed to display menu bar items. Open System Settings, go to Menu Bar, and toggle Stats on. If you are on an earlier macOS version and icons are still missing, check that at least one module is enabled in Stats Settings and that it has at least one widget style active.

How do I reduce Stats' energy impact on my MacBook battery?

The highest-impact modules are Sensors and Bluetooth, which read hardware data frequently. Disabling either one can reduce Stats' CPU usage and energy draw by up to 50% according to the README. Disable unused modules in Stats Settings to bring energy impact down to only the data you actively monitor.

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Hostinger

Self-host Stats on a Hostinger VPS

Keep it running 24/7, even when your laptop is off. A Hostinger VPS gives it a server of its own.

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Apply
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Stats vs iStat Menus

Feature	Stats	iStat Menus
License	MIT (free)	Paid license
Source code	Open source on GitHub	Closed source
Apple Silicon	Yes	Yes
CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, sensors, battery	Yes	Yes
Widget styles	13	Multiple
Remote web monitoring	Yes	No

Stats vs iStatistica

iStatistica is a paid macOS app with animated widgets covering CPU, GPU, memory, network, disk, battery, and sensors in the menu bar.

Feature	Stats	iStatistica
License	MIT (free)	Paid
Widget styles	13 configurable	Animated widgets
Translations	41 languages	Varies
Remote monitoring	Yes	No

Stats is the clearer choice for users who do not want to pay for a menu bar monitor and need broad language support. iStatistica is worth considering if you prefer its animated widget display style.

Stats vs MenuBar Stats

MenuBar Stats is a paid macOS app displaying CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, network, battery, and sensor stats with customizable compact widgets.

Feature	Stats	MenuBar Stats
License	MIT (free)	Paid
Modules	9	Varies
Translations	41 languages	Varies