# Macs Fan Control review (2026): is the free plan enough? > Free Mac fan monitor with custom speeds and presets in Pro Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Macs Fan Control shows fan speeds and temperature sensors on Apple computers, including third-party drives read through S.M.A.R.T. The free app lets you set fan speeds, and the Pro license adds custom fan presets and priority support. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** CrystalIDEA - **Website:** https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you only want a readout, as the control side can do harm if misused. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Macs Fan Control has a free plan, and paid plans start at $14.95 one-time, per Mac. - **Pricing model:** Free plan - **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 trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control/buy on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Macs Fan Control before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Older MacBooks or iMacs that run hot or loud - Mac owners who only need basic fan control at no cost ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Macs Fan Control shows fan speeds and temperatures and lets you set an RPM or tie a fan to a sensor, free. Custom presets need Pro at $14.95 a Mac, and the vendor says it is for advanced users and takes no liability for damage. - **Value for money: A.** Pro is $14.95 once per Mac, under 60% of a year of what this category's middle subscription costs. - **Free plan and trial: B.** The free download monitors, sets custom RPM and sensor-based control and shows the menu bar. One person could live on it; presets are Pro. - **Features: C.** Monitors fans and sensors and controls them. It is a narrow job done fully, and presets and priority support are Pro. - **Ease of use: C.** No rating on record. The vendor calls it a tool for advanced users, and setting fan speeds wrongly can cause trouble. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac, plus Windows through Boot Camp on Intel Macs, where the Windows build is a 14-day trial. Computers only. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from CrystalIDEA's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - Macs Fan Control's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 69 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 46. - It stands best on value for money (A, above 55 of 186) and worst on features (C, above 2). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Nothing Macs Fan Control does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company. It costs $14.95, paid once. - You could not: Readings from inside the operating system. - You could not: A native app living in the menu bar. - You could not: A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** System monitor, Menu bar app, One-time purchase ## Alternatives - [TG Pro](https://toolgpa.com/tools/tg-pro): Mac temperature monitor with manual and automatic fan control. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/macs-fan-control-vs-tg-pro) - [iStat Menus](https://toolgpa.com/tools/istat-menus): System monitor that lives in the Mac menu bar. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/istat-menus-vs-macs-fan-control) - [Stats](https://toolgpa.com/tools/stats): Free, open-source system monitor for the Mac menu bar. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/macs-fan-control-vs-stats) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control - https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control/buy - https://crystalidea.com/macs-fan-control/download - https://checkout.paddle.com/api/2.0/prices?product_ids=580295,563846&customer_country=US Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/macs-fan-control Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).