Macs Fan Control vs SpeedFan (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Macs Fan Control and SpeedFan share a 2.6 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Macs Fan Control grades higher, or the free plan, where SpeedFan does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Macs Fan Control
Free Mac fan monitor with custom speeds and presets in Pro
Which one is for you
Pick Macs Fan Control if
- Fits if an older MacBook or iMac runs hot or loud
- Works for Mac owners who need basic fan control at no cost
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you only want a readout, as the control side can do harm if misused
- Watch out: the vendor disclaims liability for damage caused by misuse
- Pricey if you own several Macs, as Pro is priced per computer
- Watch out: the Windows version works only through Boot Camp, and its download is a 14-day trial
Pick SpeedFan if
- Fits if your PC is older and has a monitor chip it recognises
- Works for people who want disk health and temperatures in one window
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your PC is new, as the page shows 4.52 with a copyright of 2000 to 2020
- Not for you if you run Windows 11, which the page does not mention
- Too light for fans it cannot see: control works only with supported chips
- Watch out: nothing on the page shows recent updates, so support for new hardware may be limited
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAMacs Fan ControlGood | 2.6GPASpeedFanGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $14.95 once per Mac, under 60% of a year of what this category's middle subscription costs. | AFree to download and use, with a PayPal donation link. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free download monitors, sets custom RPM and sensor-based control and shows the menu bar. One person could live on it; presets are Pro. | AThe full program is free with no cap or trial clock. |
| Features | CMonitors fans and sensors and controls them. It is a narrow job done fully, and presets and priority support are Pro. | CSensor readings, fan control, disk health and RAID support. Fan control works only with monitor chips it supports, and the 2020 copyright suggests newer hardware may be missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The vendor calls it a tool for advanced users, and setting fan speeds wrongly can cause trouble. | CNo store rating is on record. Fan control means matching chips and setting speeds by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, plus Windows through Boot Camp on Intel Macs, where the Windows build is a 14-day trial. Computers only. | DWindows only, from Windows 9x through Windows 10 and Server 2012. Windows 11 is not mentioned. |
| Best for | watching and setting fan speeds on a Mac | reading fan and temperature chips on older Windows PCs |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Macs Fan Control and SpeedFan. How we grade
Where they differ
- Macs Fan Control can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Macs Fan Control also covers menu bar app.
- SpeedFan also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Macs Fan Control | SpeedFan | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $14.95 one-time, per Mac | Free |
| Free plan | Free download that monitors fan speeds and temperatures, sets custom RPM values or sensor-based fan control, and shows readings in the menu bar. Custom fan presets are Pro. | Free to download and use; the site takes PayPal donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | CrystalIDEA | Alfredo Milani Comparetti |
| Price read from | crystalidea.com | almico.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Macs Fan Control
- The Windows version works only on Windows installed through Boot Camp, and the Windows download is a 14-day trial, not a free app.
- Pro is priced per computer, so each additional Mac needs its own license.
- The vendor says the program is for advanced users and disclaims liability for damage caused by misuse.
- The buy page loads its prices through Paddle; the figures here are Paddle's US prices for the two listed licenses.
SpeedFan
- Windows only; the page lists versions from Windows 9x through Windows 10 and Server 2012 and does not mention Windows 11.
- The vendor's site shows 4.52 with a copyright of 2000-2020, so support for newer hardware may be limited.
- Fan control works only with hardware monitor chips it supports.
Key features
Macs Fan Control
- Fan speed and temperature monitoring
- Lists every fan and temperature sensor in two tables, including third-party HDDs and SSDs read through S.M.A.R.T.
- Custom RPM or sensor-based control
- Set a fixed RPM value, or tie a fan to a chosen sensor such as a drive or the CPU.
- Fan presets
- Save named fan configurations and switch between them by activity. Custom presets are a Pro feature.
- Menu bar display
- Choose which fan speeds and sensor temperatures appear in the menu bar, or in the tray on Windows.
- Windows via Boot Camp
- A separate Windows build controls fans on Macs running Windows through Boot Camp, including T2 models.
- Automatic restore on quit
- When the app quits it puts every fan back under the system's automatic control.
SpeedFan
- Sensor readings
- Reads motherboard, CPU, per-core, chipset and nVidia video card temperatures, along with voltages and the speed of each fan.
- Fan speed control
- Changes fan speeds according to current temperatures to reduce noise, with custom events for handling situations automatically.
- Disk health
- Shows S.M.A.R.T. and SCSI attributes and disk temperatures, and compares SMART data to a model built from reports.
- RAID support
- Reads SMART data through software RAID from Windows and through ARECA, CSMI and AMCC 3ware controllers.
- Wide hardware support
- The 4.52 release notes add IPMI support and a list of motherboard chips and SMBus controllers.
Plans
Macs Fan Control
Free$0
Fan and sensor monitoring with manual or sensor-based fan control on macOS.
Pro License for macOS$14.95
one-time, per Mac
Adds custom fan presets and priority support. Priced per computer, with volume discounts for 2 or more.
Pro License for macOS & Windows$24.95
one-time, per Mac
Pro for macOS plus fan control on Windows installed through Boot Camp on Intel Macs.
SpeedFan
Free$0
The full program; the download page says it costs nothing and offers a donation link.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Macs Fan Control or SpeedFan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Macs Fan Control starts at $14.95 one-time, per Mac, and SpeedFan is free.
Which has a free plan, Macs Fan Control or SpeedFan?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Macs Fan Control and SpeedFan have a free plan.
Which platforms do Macs Fan Control and SpeedFan run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Macs Fan Control lists a macOS app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.