Tend vs coconutBattery: Mac battery apps compared

Which battery question are you trying to answer?

“How worn is this battery?” and “Why did my battery run down today?” need different information. A capacity reading helps with the first. Current app activity, heat and usage help with the second. Neither app repairs a worn battery or promises extra hours between charges.

This page compares the developers’ documented features and purchase terms. We did not install coconutBattery or run a battery-life test for this comparison. There are no measured accuracy, performance or energy-saving claims, and no affiliate links.

For condition alone, start in System Settings › Battery. Apple explains the Normal and Service Recommended states there. The MacBook battery health guide covers capacity and cycle count without requiring another app. An extra monitor is useful when you want a history, other devices or more context around the number.

Where coconutBattery is stronger

iPhone and iPad diagnostics

coconutBattery reads the battery in a Mac, iPhone or iPad. Its free edition includes these diagnostics, saved battery-health information and Mac details in the menu bar. That is a clear advantage if you are checking several kinds of Apple device. Tend does not read an iPhone’s or iPad’s internal battery health.

Plus adds Wi-Fi access after communication with the mobile device is enabled, mobile-device menu bar details, notifications and custom printed reports. Its Advanced Viewer can include SSD statistics, with the available detail depending on the device. Try it with your own hardware before buying for one particular reading.

Older macOS versions and a focused purchase

The current coconutBattery 4.4 requires macOS 12 Monterey or later. Its release notes date 4.4 to 9 September 2026 and explicitly add macOS, iOS and iPadOS 27 support. The checked website does not state a separate Intel requirement. Its official screenshot shows an Apple M4 Pro MacBook Pro, but that does not establish the full supported Intel-model list.

Both Plus editions are one-time purchases for unlimited devices. Standard covers version 4.x updates; Lifetime includes all future Plus updates. If battery diagnostics are the whole job, that focused license can make more sense than paying for a wider monitor. The free edition may already cover everything you need.

coconutBattery and Tend side by side

Prices, editions and what the trial means

In the official US store checked today, coconutBattery Plus Standard was US$12.95 once, and the Lifetime edition was US$17.95 once at the displayed discounted price. Both cover unlimited devices. Standard’s version-4 update entitlement and Lifetime’s future-update entitlement are the meaningful difference; “Lifetime” is not a longer trial.

These are the store’s US-dollar quotes, not conversions. A different country, tax calculation or promotion can change the amount. Check the single item and edition in your basket before paying. We did not complete a purchase. The vendor’s Plus trial permits 10 launches in Plus mode after activation in app settings, rather than a stated ten-day period.

Tend remains free for its core monitoring. Pro is $1.99 a month, $12.99 a year with a 7-day free trial, or $29.99 once, for up to 3 Macs. Prices exclude tax. The one-time plan includes future updates for as long as Tend is available. Compare the features you will use, rather than treating a recurring plan and a version-limited license as the same purchase.

How to interpret a battery health number

Charge percentage answers how full the battery is now. Health or maximum capacity estimates how much it can hold compared with when it was new. Cycle count records accumulated battery use; it is not the same as how often you have connected a charger. A battery at a high charge level can still have reduced capacity.

Before comparing percentages across tools, check the label and calculation. A full-charge-capacity-to-design-capacity ratio and Apple’s Maximum Capacity need not be identical. Tend uses the Maximum Capacity reported by macOS when available, otherwise a capacity ratio. Its battery health explanation describes that fallback. This page does not claim that either app has independently measured a more accurate figure.

Use the same reading over time, alongside actual runtime and macOS’s condition. If macOS recommends service, another app’s more reassuring number does not cancel that condition. Conversely, a single change in an estimate is not by itself proof of a newly damaged battery. For a service decision, follow Apple’s guidance or ask its service provider.

Where Tend fits

Tend’s current public changelog lists version 1.3, October 2026. The feature and tier descriptions below match the checked pricing and help pages.

Free: connect health with current energy use

Tend’s free Battery page shows health, cycles, capacity and time remaining. The free app view shows CPU, memory and estimated per-app watts, so you can investigate what is active when the battery drains. Those watts are estimates, not physical meters attached to each process. Energy history shows totals for the last 24 hours; it is separate from the battery-health record.

The free Battery Coach looks at your charging pattern and explains whether a limit is likely to help. It needs enough logged use to form that advice. Free CPU temperature in the menu bar and Thermals widget gives heat context, while AirPods, keyboard and mouse levels answer the simpler question of which accessory needs charging.

Pro: a health record, more sensors and reminders

Pro adds a daily battery-health record and cell-level detail, every temperature sensor and fan speed, battery and heat alerts, and 7- and 30-day energy totals. Its Monday report combines top apps, energy, time on power and battery health. These views help you notice patterns; they do not establish that one app caused long-term battery wear.

Charge Limit status in Pro refers to Apple’s feature on Apple silicon with macOS 26.4 or later. You set the limit in System Settings. On earlier supported macOS versions, an unplug reminder asks you to disconnect at a chosen level. Tend never starts or stops charging, discharges the battery on command or controls fans. Read whether a charge limit suits your routine before changing one.

Which one should you choose?

Choose coconutBattery if you need iPhone or iPad diagnostics, a focused saved battery record or support for macOS 12 through 14. Start with its free edition, and use the Plus trial for a device-specific feature before buying. For an Intel Mac, confirm your exact hardware against the developer’s current support information because the checked page does not give a separate architecture list.

Choose Tend if your Mac has Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later, and you want battery health beside current app energy, charging advice and system context. Start free. Add Pro if the daily health record, longer energy totals, sensors or reminders answer a question you actually have.

Choose the built-in tools if you only want an occasional condition or cycle-count check. You can also use both apps for their different jobs; there is no requirement to replace a working diagnostic tool. Our coconutBattery alternatives guide covers more approaches, with a French version.

coconutBattery is a trademark of its developer, coconut-flavour.com. Tend is not affiliated with coconut-flavour.com. Mac, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc.

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• coconut-flavour.com, coconutBattery 4: feature matrix, screenshots, requirements, edition terms, Plus trial and release notes for 4.4.
• coconut-flavour.com’s official FastSpring store, opened from the product page: Plus Standard US quote and Plus Lifetime edition, checked with the United States selected; final tax can differ.
• Apple, check battery condition, cycle count, battery service condition and Optimized Battery Charging and Charge Limit.
• Tend, Free and Pro features and prices, Battery Coach, health calculations and charge status, and watts and power estimates.

Sources checked 23 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.