Comparison · Menu bar system monitor
iKnowMyMac vs iStat Menus
iStat Menus is a detailed, highly customisable menu bar monitor with sensors, weather and clocks. iKnowMyMac is a diagnosis app: it groups processes into apps, keeps 30 days of history, and explains slowdowns and overnight drain.
In short
Who each app is for
iStat Menus · Bjango
People who want as much live system detail in the menu bar as possible, styled exactly how they like, with sensors, fan control, weather and world clocks.
iKnowMyMac
People who want to know why their Mac is slow or why the battery drained, and developers juggling servers, Docker and simulators.
Where iStat Menus is better
- Breadth and customisation. You can style nearly every menu bar item and choose exactly what shows.
- Sensors: voltages, current and power, plus fan control. iKnowMyMac reads temperatures and fans but doesn't control them.
- Per-app network bandwidth and S.M.A.R.T. disk status. iKnowMyMac shows network as a system total and has no disk health yet.
- Weather, astronomy forecasts, world clocks and a calendar in the menu bar.
- Wider compatibility: macOS 13 or later. iKnowMyMac needs Apple silicon and macOS 15.
- A 14-day free trial, and a family licence for up to five family members.
Where iKnowMyMac differs
- Diagnosis: one click ranks the causes of a slowdown with evidence and a suggested action.
- A 30-day timeline you can scrub, with an event rail for alerts, sleep, wake and app launches.
- Sleep forensics: what kept the Mac awake, why it woke, and overnight drain by app.
- Developer mode: servers by project, idle detection, port conflicts, Docker and simulators.
- Every helper process counted under its app, so totals match what you think of as “Chrome”.
Our take
Different jobs
iStat Menus has been the reference menu bar monitor on the Mac for a long time, and version 7.5 adds Liquid Glass menus for macOS 27 and a new Astronomy item. If you want your menu bar to show everything, it is excellent.
iKnowMyMac has a menu bar extra too, but it's built around a different job: explaining. It keeps 30 days of history so it can tell you what happened, not only what is happening, and it adds sleep forensics and a developer mode that iStat Menus doesn't list.
They overlap less than it seems. Some people run iStat Menus for the menu bar and iKnowMyMac for answers.
Pricing
iStat Menus is sold as a single or family licence; the family licence covers up to five family members. At Bjango's checkout on 27 September 2026 they were $11.99 and $14.99 (US, before local taxes); check bjango.com for today's price in your region. It's also available through a Setapp subscription. iKnowMyMac is a one-time purchase that includes every feature and free updates.
iKnowMyMac launches at $4.99 for the first 200, $9.99 for the next 150, $14.99 for the next 200 per Mac (1, 2 or 5 Macs), then $24.99. One-time purchase, every feature and free updates included, 14-day refund.
FAQ
Questions
Something else? support@iknowmymac.com
Can I run iStat Menus and iKnowMyMac together?
Yes. They don't conflict. You may want to hide one of the menu bar items so they don't duplicate each other.
Does iKnowMyMac have fan control?
No. It shows CPU and GPU temperatures and fan speeds (validated on M1 Pro; other chips show the thermal state), but it doesn't change fan behaviour.
Which is cheaper?
When we last checked Bjango's checkout (27 September 2026), iStat Menus' single licence was $11.99, lower than iKnowMyMac's regular price; iKnowMyMac's launch price for the first licences is lower. Prices change, so check bjango.com and our pricing page for today's figures.
Sources
Checked on 2026-10-08. Prices are in US dollars before local taxes. Spotted something out of date? Email support@iknowmymac.com and we'll correct it.
Know why your Mac is slow.
macOS 15 Sequoia or later · Apple silicon. A 51.4 MB native app, notarized by Apple. No account, no analytics, no telemetry.
One-time purchase · every feature · 14-day refund