# iStat Menus vs Stats for Mac

> Both put CPU, memory, disk, network, battery and sensor readings in the menu bar. iStat Menus is the polished paid app, with detailed history graphs, notifications and a large set of sensors. Stats is free and open source and covers the same basics with a lighter feature set. Facts checked 2026-10-19 by MacWorthy; nobody pays to be listed or compared.

## Choose iStat Menus if

- You want detailed history graphs and alerts.
- You read temperatures and fan speeds closely.
- You want a commercial app with support.

## Choose Stats if

- You want it free and open source.
- The basics in the menu bar are enough for you.
- You prefer a small app you can inspect.

## Facts

| | [iStat Menus](https://macworthy.com/apps/istat-menus.md) | [Stats](https://macworthy.com/apps/stats.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Paid up front | Free and open source |
| Developer | Bjango | Serhiy Mytrovtsiy |
| Mac App Store | No | No |
| Homebrew cask | istat-menus | stats |
| Open source | No | MIT |
| Last commit | – | October 2026 |
| GitHub stars | – | 43k |

## Questions

### Is iStat Menus better than Stats?

Neither is better for everyone. Both put CPU, memory, disk, network, battery and sensor readings in the menu bar. iStat Menus is the polished paid app, with detailed history graphs, notifications and a large set of sensors. Stats is free and open source and covers the same basics with a lighter feature set.

### How much does iStat Menus cost?

iStat Menus is paid software, bought up front from bjango.com.

### Is Stats free?

Yes. Stats is free and open source under the MIT license. The source code is on GitHub at exelban/stats.

### What else is like iStat Menus and Stats?

Other utilities apps on MacWorthy worth a look are Bartender 6 (one-time purchase), Ice (open source) and Amphetamine (free).

HTML version: https://macworthy.com/compare/istat-menus-vs-stats/