The AlDente Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about AlDente in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
AlDente
The Insider’s Guide
Charge limiter and battery care app for MacBooks
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from AlDente’s own pages.
Made by AppHouseKitchen GmbH · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from AlDente’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on AlDente’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade
AlDente is a macOS menu bar app from AppHouseKitchen that limits how far a MacBook's battery charges, with the aim of slowing battery wear. The free version sets a charge limit and can discharge the battery while the laptop stays plugged in. AlDente Pro, sold as a yearly subscription or a lifetime license, adds heat protection, a sailing range, calibration, schedules and battery statistics.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about AlDente, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a menu bar app, you drag a slider to a limit and it holds it.
- 1
Best for looking after a MacBook battery that's always plugged in
AlDente is a menu bar app that stops a MacBook charging past a limit you set, to slow battery wear.
- 2
Paid plans start at $1.17 a month when paid by the year
As its pricing page puts it: $13.99 / year, or $24.99 one-time for a lifetime license.
- 3
There is a free plan
AlDente Free includes the Charge Limiter and manual Discharge. It cannot control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down.
- 4
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
Heat Protection
A Pro feature that pauses charging automatically when the battery gets too hot, since charging a hot battery speeds up wear.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 18 of 94
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
Nothing AlDente does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
AlDente at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $13.99 / year, or $24.99 one-time for a lifetime license
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- AppHouseKitchen GmbH, since 2020
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for looking after a MacBook battery that's always plugged in
AlDente is a menu bar app that stops a MacBook charging past a limit you set, to slow battery wear. The free version sets the limit but can't hold it while the laptop is asleep or shut down, so it can still fill to 100% with the lid closed. Heat protection, schedules and stats need Pro at $13.99 a year or $24.99 once, and Pro drops back to free after 30 days offline. MacBooks only.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Pro is $13.99 a year, or $24.99 once for a lifetime license. Paid utilities here sit around $15 for a one-time price, so $24.99 for good is still less than a year of the category's middle subscription. One key activates on up to three macOS user accounts. |
| Free plan and trial | C | The free version sets the charge limit, which sounds like the whole point until you read the catch: it can't control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down, so close the lid and it fills to 100% anyway. Heat protection, schedules and stats are all Pro. |
| Features | C | Battery care is a small job and AlDente covers it: a charge limit, discharging on the adapter, heat protection, a Sailing Mode range, calibration, schedules and stats on capacity and temperature. One narrow chore, covered in full, which is where most tools sit. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a menu bar app, you drag a slider to a limit and it holds it. One thing to know is that Pro checks its license online at least once every 30 days, and drops to the free version after 30 days offline. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | MacBooks only, on macOS 12 Monterey through macOS 27, so one operating system and not even all of it. It works with Apple Shortcuts, and Pro comes with Setapp. But it's one kind of computer, and that's that. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who AlDente is for
- Fits if your MacBook sits plugged in at a desk most of the day
- Works for people who'd rather pay $24.99 once than renew every year
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you don't own a MacBook, as that's the only thing it runs on, from macOS 12 through macOS 27
- Tight if you're staying free, because the limit can't hold while the laptop is asleep or shut down
- Watch out: heat protection, Sailing Mode, calibration, schedules and battery stats are all Pro only
- Not for you if your Mac stays offline for weeks, since Pro switches to free after 30 days without a license check
- Watch out: prices vary by country, and the page's own text shows 11,49 € and 23,99 € beside the $13.99 and $24.99 US prices
Good to know
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$1.17
A month to start, paid by the year. There is a free plan too
AlDente has a free plan. Paid plans start at $13.99 / year, or $24.99 one-time for a lifetime license.
One key activates on up to three macOS user accounts.
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.
The free plan
AlDente Free includes the Charge Limiter and manual Discharge. It cannot control charging while the MacBook is asleep or shut down.
Read from apphousekitchen.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on apphousekitchen.comEducation
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.
Stated on apphousekitchen.comOther 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.
Stated on apphousekitchen.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Charge limiter and battery care app for MacBooks. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, menu bar app, system monitor.
One narrow chore, covered in full, which is where most tools sit.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Apple Shortcuts
- Setapp
AlDente is made by AppHouseKitchen GmbH, and has been around since 2020.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
18/94
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
AlDente's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 24 of 94) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $1.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 3 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 95 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. AlDente’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 94
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 94
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 94
- BEase of useAbove 33 of 94
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 94
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 55 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. AlDente is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Nothing AlDente does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 59 of the 94 other desktop utilities grade higher. It costs $13.99 a year.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- Readings from inside the operating system.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. AlDente’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
iStat Menus, Stats and CleanMyMac
The 3 tools AlDente is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
iStat Menus
Free trial · from $11.99 one-time
System monitor that lives in the Mac menu bar.
- AlDente has a free plan. iStat Menus does not, though it has a free trial.
- 2.8GPA
Stats
Free
Free, open-source system monitor for the Mac menu bar.
- AlDente can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Stats is open source, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
CleanMyMac
Free trial · from $39.99/yr
Mac cleanup, malware removal and maintenance in one app.
- AlDente has a free plan. CleanMyMac does not, though it has a free trial.
- CleanMyMac also covers disk cleanup.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is AlDente free?
AlDente has a free plan. AlDente Free includes the Charge Limiter and manual Discharge.
How much does AlDente cost?
AlDente lists 4 plans. AlDente Free: $0.
What platforms does AlDente work on?
AlDente is available on macOS.
Does AlDente offer any discounts?
AlDente publicly lists the following: Lifetime License for AlDente Pro; Student discount through Student App Centre; Included with a Setapp subscription.
Does AlDente have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AlDente is listed for macOS.
Does AlDente have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. AlDente is listed for macOS.
Is AlDente open source?
AlDente is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does AlDente integrate with?
AlDente's listing names Apple Shortcuts and Setapp. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does AlDente have a student discount?
Student discount through Student App Centre. The vendor's FAQ says a student discount is available through Student App Centre.
Who makes AlDente?
AlDente is made by AppHouseKitchen GmbH. It dates from 2020.
What are the alternatives to AlDente?
The closest alternatives to AlDente in our directory are iStat Menus, Stats and CleanMyMac.
How does AlDente compare with other desktop utilities?
AlDente's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 18 of the 94 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 17.
Is AlDente good value for money?
ToolGPA grades AlDente A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $1.17 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $2.50 for the category: 3 of the 17 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of AlDente?
Nothing AlDente does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from AlDente’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from AppHouseKitchen's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-29.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by AppHouseKitchen GmbH. Prices change, so check apphousekitchen.com before you buy.
- apphousekitchen.com/aldente-overview/pricing/
- checkout.paddle.com/api/2.0/prices?product_ids=647748,647568&customer_country=US
- apphousekitchen.com/aldente-overview/
- apphousekitchen.com/aldente-overview/features/
- apphousekitchen.com/faq/
- apphousekitchen.com/about/
- apphousekitchen.com/imprint/
- apphousekitchen.com/
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- AlDente, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/aldente
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "AlDente: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/aldente
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/aldente/guide
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See our other guides
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- LocalSend Insider's GuideOpen-source file sharing between nearby devices, no cloud3.2 GPA
- Ninite Insider's GuideInstalls and updates many Windows apps at once3.2 GPA
- 7-Zip Insider's GuideFree, open-source file archiver with the 7z format3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what AlDente’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. AlDente is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by AppHouseKitchen GmbH. Prices and plans change: check apphousekitchen.com before you buy.