AlDente vs iStat Menus

AlDente

• MacBook owners who keep the laptop plugged in most of the day
• People who want battery temperature, capacity and power figures in the menu bar
• Buyers who prefer a one-time lifetime license to a subscription

iStat Menus

• Mac users who want CPU, memory, network and temperature readings always visible
• People who want an alert when a system reading crosses a threshold
• Laptop owners keeping an eye on battery, sensors and fan speeds

AlDente

• For MacBooks only, on macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27; the site lists the supported models.
• AlDente Free cannot control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down, so it can still charge to 100% with the lid closed.
• AlDente Pro checks its license online at least once every 30 days; after 30 days offline it switches to the free version.
• Prices vary by country through Paddle: the page's own text shows 11,49 € and 23,99 €, and its price feed returns $13.99 and $24.99 for US buyers.

iStat Menus

• macOS only. The version on the vendor's site requires macOS 11 or later; the Mac App Store listing requires macOS 14.
• Weather data is included for 6 months, after which the direct version needs a paid data pack and the App Store edition a subscription.
• A license covers only the current major release; iStat Menus 6 owners pay an upgrade price for version 7.
• The pricing panel shows local-currency prices by visitor location, with local taxes on top.

AlDente

Charge Limiter

Sets the charge level a plugged-in MacBook holds. Once the limit is reached, charging pauses and the laptop runs from the adapter. Included in AlDente Free.

Discharge

Runs the MacBook on battery while it stays plugged in, to bring the charge down to the limit. Pro's Automatic Discharge starts this whenever the limit is below the current level.

Heat Protection

A Pro feature that pauses charging automatically when the battery gets too hot, since charging a hot battery speeds up wear.

Sailing Mode

A Pro feature that sets a range instead of a single limit: at 75 to 80%, the battery drifts down to 75% before it is charged back to 80%.

Calibration Mode and schedules

Pro charges to 100%, discharges to 10%, recharges and holds for an hour, then returns to the limit. Schedules can run this and six other actions on set days.

Stats and Power Flow

Pro shows battery capacity, temperature and system load, plus a live diagram of how power moves between the charger, the battery and the MacBook.

iStat Menus

CPU and GPU monitoring

Per-core usage, history graphs, load averages, uptime and the apps using the most CPU, plus GPU processor, memory, temperature and frequency on supported Macs.

Memory, disks and network

Memory pressure and swap, used and free disk space with S.M.A.R.T. status, and network bandwidth with a per-app breakdown, public and private IP addresses and a connectivity indicator.

Sensors and fan control

Lists temperatures, fans, voltages, current and power. Fan speeds can be controlled, or switched and ramped based on temperatures and battery state.

Rules and notifications

Notifies you about events such as CPU usage above 60% for more than 10 seconds, low disk space, a changed public IP address or a dropped internet connection.

Weather

Current conditions in the menu bar with an hourly forecast and weekly overview, for your location or elsewhere. Data comes from providers including Apple Weather and AccuWeather.

Combined mode and customization

Combined mode folds several items into a single menu bar item to save space. Colors, item order and what each menu shows can all be changed.

AlDente

• AlDente Free$0

  Charge Limiter and Discharge. The features page marks every other feature as part of AlDente Pro.

• AlDente Pro: Subscription License$13.99

  per year, billed annually (US price; page text shows 11,49 €)

  All features, including Heat Protection, Sailing Mode, Calibration Mode and schedules. One key activates on up to three macOS user accounts.

• AlDente Pro: Lifetime License$24.99

  one-time purchase (US price; page text shows 23,99 €)

  The same Pro features bought once instead of renewed yearly, with the same limit of three activations.

• AlDente Pro via Setapp$9.99

  per month (Setapp subscription)

  AlDente Pro as part of Setapp, which the pricing page describes as including more than 240 other Mac and iOS apps.

iStat Menus

• Single License$11.99

  one-time purchase, plus local taxes

  iStat Menus 7 on up to 3 computers primarily used by the buyer, with 6 months of weather data included.

• Family License$14.99

  one-time purchase, plus local taxes

  For up to 5 family members, on up to 5 computers in one household, with 6 months of weather data included.

• Mac App Store edition$11.99

  one-time purchase (US Mac App Store price)

  Cannot control fan speeds and needs a helper app for some stats. Weather is an in-app subscription at $0.99 a month or $4.99 a year.

• Weather data packFrom $2.49

  one-off purchase for 12 months of weather data

  Optional add-on for the direct version once the included weather period ends. Data packs do not renew automatically.

AlDente

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime License for AlDente Pro

  AlDente Pro can be bought once as a Lifetime License instead of the yearly subscription. The pricing page's feed returns $24.99 for US buyers.

• Education

  Student discount through Student App Centre

  The vendor's FAQ says a student discount is available through Student App Centre. It does not state the size of the discount.

• Other savings

  Included with a Setapp subscription

  The pricing page says Setapp, at $9.99 a month, includes AlDente Pro along with more than 240 other apps.

iStat Menus

• Other savings

  Upgrade pricing from iStat Menus 6

  Holders of an iStat Menus 6 license pay $9.99 for a single upgrade or $12.99 for a family upgrade. The discount is applied when upgrading from inside iStat Menus 7.

• Other savings

  Included with a Setapp subscription

  iStat Menus is also available through Setapp, which the vendor quotes at USD$9.99 a month for more than 250 Mac apps.