Stats vs SwiftBar
We give Stats a 3.2 GPA and SwiftBar a 3.0, out of 4.0. Stats grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAStatsVery good | 3.0GPASwiftBarVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT license, with no subscriptions. Donations are optional. System Stats, a separate remote monitoring service from the same developer, is where the paid plans are. | AFree and open source under the MIT license, from GitHub Releases or Homebrew. No paid edition is listed. The repository carries a sponsor link if you'd like to chip in. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll 9 modules and 13 widget styles are free, as a direct download or through Homebrew. Nothing in the app is held back for paying users. | AThe complete app is free, with every plugin type and the bundled plugin repository. No license key and no account. |
| Features | ACPU load and temperature with the most demanding processes, GPU, memory pressure, disk space and SMART health, network speeds, sensors, battery cycle count and Bluetooth battery levels. Each can show as a chart, a number, a gauge or a dot. For a menu bar monitor, that's everything. | AIt does one thing, script output in the menu bar, and does it fully. Scripts in any language, refresh intervals from milliseconds to days or cron schedules, colors, SF Symbols and click actions per line, and plugins that stay running to push updates. A URL scheme lets other apps drive it. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Install it and the readings appear in the menu bar. A tip from the developer: turning off the Sensors and Bluetooth modules can cut its CPU use by up to 50% in some cases. | CThis one needs scripts, so a C. Every menu bar item is a plugin you take from the repository or write yourself. Several preferences, such as hiding SwiftBar's own item, aren't in the settings window and are set with Terminal commands. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 12 or newer. Beta versions of macOS aren't supported. The one hook-up is System Stats, for watching a Mac from another device. | DMac only, on macOS Monterey (12) and later. It can take its menu content from an Apple Shortcut and runs xbar plugins. Nothing for Windows or Linux. |
| Best for | free system readings in the Mac menu bar | putting your own scripts in the Mac menu bar |
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: Stats and SwiftBar. How we grade
Where they differ
- Stats is free. SwiftBar is free.
- Stats also covers system monitor.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceMenu bar app
At a glance
| Stats | SwiftBar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and open source, with no subscriptions. System Stats, a separate remote monitoring service from the same developer, has paid plans. | The whole app is open source under the MIT license, downloaded from GitHub Releases or installed with Homebrew. No paid edition is listed; the repository carries a sponsor link. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | exelban | Ameba Labs |
| Price read from | mac-stats.com | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Stats
- Mac users who want system readings in the menu bar without buying a license
- People who want to inspect or modify the source code of their system monitor
- Both Apple silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 12 or newer
SwiftBar
- Mac users comfortable writing shell, Python or other scripts
- People who already have BitBar or xbar plugins
- Showing custom status readouts or quick actions in the menu bar
Worth knowing
Stats
- macOS only. It supports macOS 12 Monterey and newer, and beta versions of macOS are not supported.
- Fan control is in legacy mode and receives no updates or fixes.
- The Sensors and Bluetooth modules are the least efficient; the developer says disabling them can cut the app's CPU use by up to 50% in some cases.
- It is maintained by a solo developer, and the FAQ points users with problems to the project's GitHub issues.
SwiftBar
- macOS only; it runs on macOS Monterey (12) and later.
- It shows nothing by itself: every menu bar item needs a plugin script, taken from the plugin repository or written by the user.
- Every file in the plugin folder is imported as a plugin and made executable unless a .swiftbarignore file excludes it.
- Several preferences, such as hiding SwiftBar's own item, are not in the settings window and are set with Terminal commands.
Key features
Stats
- CPU and GPU
- Real-time CPU load, frequency and temperature with a list of the most demanding processes, plus GPU utilization, memory and temperature for Intel, AMD and Apple silicon graphics.
- RAM and disk
- Memory pressure, used and free RAM, swap and the top memory-consuming apps, along with free and used disk space, read and write activity and SMART health for each drive.
- Network
- Upload and download speeds, total data usage, and local and public IP addresses.
- Sensors, battery and Bluetooth
- Temperature, voltage, power and fan-speed sensors, battery charge, health and cycle count, and the battery levels of connected Bluetooth devices.
- 13 widget styles
- Each module can appear in the menu bar as a chart, a number, a gauge or a dot, and widgets can be combined, reordered and recolored.
- Remote module
- Stats can stream metrics to System Stats, a separate web dashboard service from the same developer, so a Mac can be monitored from another device.
SwiftBar
- Plugins are plain scripts
- Any executable script in the language of your choice becomes a menu bar item: the lines it prints before the first separator form the title, and the rest fill the drop-down menu.
- Refresh intervals and cron schedules
- A refresh interval goes in the file name, as in date.1m.sh, from milliseconds up to days. A metadata tag accepts cron syntax for one or several schedules instead.
- BitBar and xbar compatibility
- The plugin format is adopted from BitBar and xbar, so existing plugins for those run unchanged, and a Get Plugins menu item opens a bundled plugin repository.
- Formatting and click actions
- Per-line parameters set colors, fonts, SF Symbols, images, badges and tooltips, and make an item open a URL, run a script, show a web view or respond to a hotkey.
- Shortcuts and streaming plugins
- Beyond standard scripts, an Apple Shortcut can supply the menu content, ephemeral plugins create temporary items on demand, and streamable plugins stay running to push updates.
- URL scheme
- swiftbar:// links refresh, enable, disable or add plugins, post notifications and create temporary menu bar items, so other apps and scripts can drive it.
Plans
Stats
Stats$0
All 9 modules and 13 widget styles, as a direct download or through Homebrew. Open source under the MIT license; donations are optional.
SwiftBar
SwiftBar$0
The complete app with every plugin type and the bundled plugin repository. MIT licensed, with no license key or account.
