coconutBattery and its alternatives on Apple silicon

Checked 13 October 2026 against each developer's website or App Store page. Features and prices change; see the sources at the end.

What coconutBattery shows, and why people like it

coconutBattery calls itself "the standard for battery reading since 2005". Version 4.4, released on 9 September 2026, added support for macOS, iOS and iPadOS 27; it needs macOS 12 Monterey or later, and it's only available from the developer's website, not the App Store (coconut-flavour.com).

The developer's own screenshot of the Mac view shows what you get at a glance: current charge in mAh, battery health as a percentage, full-charge and design capacity, manufacture date, charge cycles, battery temperature and the current discharge rate in watts.

The free version includes:

• Mac battery diagnostics, and battery details in the menu bar;
• iPhone and iPad battery diagnostics, over USB;
• saving battery readings over time, so you can look back at the history.

coconutBattery Plus adds iPhone and iPad details in the menu bar, Wi-Fi connection to those devices, a Battery Lifetime Analyzer (temperature, voltage and charge-rate ranges over the battery's life), an advanced viewer with SSD statistics, notifications and custom printing. It's a one-time purchase, in a Standard edition for version 4 or a Lifetime edition, and the free app can run in Plus mode 10 times as a trial. The price is shown at checkout in your currency.

Why people like it: a long track record, a free core that covers the basics, and the iPhone and iPad readings, which no other app here offers.

What macOS shows without any app

• System Settings › Battery, then the info button next to Battery Health: the condition (Normal or Service Recommended) and, on macOS 26 and 27, Maximum Capacity.
• System Information (hold Option and choose it from the Apple menu), then Power: cycle count, condition and Maximum Capacity.
• Terminal: system_profiler SPPowerDataType prints the same health lines.

Apple also says that third-party apps reporting battery health "might not be accurate", and recommends relying on what macOS reports (Apple). For a decision about servicing your battery, go by System Settings. Our guide on checking battery health explains each number.

Why the health figures differ

coconutBattery's screenshot shows its health percentage as full-charge capacity divided by design capacity: 5,955 of 6,249 mAh, or 95%. macOS's Maximum Capacity is Apple's own calculation, and it doesn't have to match that simple ratio. On the M2 Max MacBook Pro we used for this guide, running macOS 27.0.1, the battery reports 4,767 mAh of 6,075 mAh design capacity, which works out to 78%, while System Settings shows a Maximum Capacity of 82%. Neither is wrong; they measure differently. Just compare like with like over time.

The alternatives

AlDente: charge control first

AlDente's main job is controlling charging: holding a charge limit, discharging while plugged in, and in its Pro version, pausing charging when the battery is hot. Its developers also list a dashboard of battery and power analytics and charts of battery health over time among its features, and AlDente Pro can show the hardware battery percentage alongside macOS's. Free; Pro US$13.99 a year or US$24.99 once. Apple silicon and Intel MacBooks, macOS 12 to 27 (AppHouseKitchen). If you're deciding between AlDente and macOS's own limit, see macOS Charge Limit vs AlDente.

Battery Health 2: unmaintained since 2022

FIPLAB's Battery Health 2 is free on the Mac App Store, with a US$9.99 in-app purchase for Power History. Its description covers charge level, capacity, time remaining, power use and charge count. Its last update, version 1.94, was on 24 January 2022, so it predates several macOS versions and Mac models. You may see "Battery Health 3" mentioned online; there's no such app from FIPLAB.

iStat Menus and Stats: battery as one module among many

Both are full system monitors for the menu bar. iStat Menus 7.5 shows detailed battery state, plus battery levels for AirPods and other Bluetooth devices, alongside CPU, GPU, memory, network and sensors; US$11.99, macOS 13 or later (Bjango). Stats is free and open source, with a battery module among its others; macOS 12 or later (Stats). Choose either for the whole-Mac view, not for deep battery history. Stats vs iStat Menus compares them.

Where Tend fits

Tend puts battery health next to the things that wear a battery down. Its free Battery page shows health, cycle count and how much of the rated cycle life you've used, and matches System Settings' Maximum Capacity whenever macOS reports it (how Tend's figure works). The same free app shows which apps use the most power and whether a charge limit is worth it for you. Tend Pro adds a daily health record with a chart, cell-level detail and heat warnings.

What coconutBattery does that Tend doesn't: iPhone and iPad battery readings, and a track record going back to 2005. Tend also needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later.

Side by side

coconutBattery, AlDente, Battery Health 2, iStat Menus and Stats are trademarks of their owners. Tend isn't affiliated with any of them.

Which one to use

• Just checking wear now and then? Use macOS: System Settings and System Information have everything Apple uses to judge your battery.
• Want readings over time, or your iPhone and iPad too? coconutBattery.
• Want to control charging, below 80% or on an Intel Mac? AlDente.
• Want a full menu bar system monitor with battery as one part? iStat Menus, or Stats for free.
• Want battery health next to what's draining and heating your Mac? That's what Tend is built for.

Avoid relying on an app that's no longer updated, and remember Apple's advice: when deciding on a battery replacement, go by what macOS reports.

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• coconut-flavour.com, coconutBattery 4 (features, editions, release notes for 4.4, screenshots and privacy policy), checked 13 October 2026
• Apple, Battery Health 2 on the Mac App Store, checked 13 October 2026
• AppHouseKitchen, AlDente features, pricing and We Got Sherlocked — Or Did We?
• Bjango, iStat Menus; Stats on GitHub
• Apple, If you see battery "Service Recommended" on your Mac laptop
• Readings from ioreg and system_profiler on our MacBook Pro (M2 Max) with macOS 27.0.1, 13 October 2026

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