Better Resource Monitor
Monitor CPU, memory, GPU, and network from your Mac menu bar.
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Why • Installation • Comparison
Why
Better Resource Monitor is for people who just want a quick, low-noise way to keep an eye on their Mac.
It keeps CPU, memory, GPU, and network usage in the menu bar, so you can catch unusual load without stopping what you're doing or opening Activity Monitor.
If you're evaluating an iStat Menus alternative, this is the same place to do it: a lightweight monitor for everyday metrics with low overhead and no telemetry.
IStat Menus alternative FAQ
Can Better Resource Monitor replace iStat Menus?
Yes, when your goals are visibility and daily stability. iStat Menus is excellent for deep system control; Better Resource Monitor is for keeping the core numbers easy to read all day with less setup.
Is it free?
Yes. Better Resource Monitor is free and MIT licensed. The Mac App Store build and GitHub build are the same app.
Does it send telemetry or collect usage data?
No. Better Resource Monitor has zero network requests. No analytics and no telemetry are sent.
Does it run quietly on a battery-powered Mac?
Yes. It is built to sit in the background with very low impact so it stays usable during daily work.
If this is useful, star the repo so other Mac users can find it.
Installation
Get it from the Mac App Store (includes automatic updates) or grab the .dmg from GitHub Releases (no automatic updates; download and update manually each version).
Compatibility
Works on Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS Ventura 13 or newer.
Build from Source
You'll need Tauri v2 prerequisites and pnpm.
git clone https://github.com/alexx855/better-resource-monitor.git
cd better-resource-monitor
pnpm install
pnpm tauri build
Development
# Run in development mode with hot reload
pnpm tauri dev
# Run tests
cd src-tauri && cargo test
# Run tests with coverage (requires cargo-llvm-cov)
cargo install cargo-llvm-cov
cd src-tauri && cargo llvm-cov --lib --html --output-dir coverage/
Comparison
Quick starts:
- Better Resource Monitor vs iStat Menus
- Better Resource Monitor vs Stats
- Better Resource Monitor vs Eul
| Feature | Better Resource Monitor | Stats | Eul | iStat Menus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac App Store | Yes (full features) | No | Limited | Limited |
| Admin Password / Privileges | None (sandboxed) | Requires root helper | None | Requires root helper |
| GPU API Stability | Public API | Private API | Private API | Proprietary |
| Memory Footprint | ~15 MB | ~50 MB | ~40 MB | ~100+ MB |
| CPU / Energy Impact | < 0.1% | ~1% | High (M-series) | ~1% |
| App Size | < 7 MB | ~25 MB | ~5 MB | ~65 MB |
| Privacy/Telemetry | 100% offline | Offline | Offline | Analytics |
| Status | Active | Active | Unmaintained | Active |
| Language | Rust | Swift / C++ | Swift | Obj-C / Swift |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | $14.99 |
| License | MIT | MIT | MIT | Proprietary |
Third-party numbers are rough estimates. Your mileage may vary.
Credits
- Phosphor Icons - Icon set used in the tray
- Alex Pedersen - Maintainer