Tend vs Stats: menu bar monitors for Mac compared

Which should you choose?

Choose Stats for a broad set of free menu bar modules, especially network, disk, memory and sensor detail. Choose Tend if your main question is which apps are using energy and what your battery is doing. You can use either without accepting a claim that monitoring itself extends battery life.

This comparison uses the makers’ documentation and Tend’s current implementation. We did not install Stats or benchmark either app’s overhead for this page. There is no measured winner for CPU use, accuracy or battery runtime here.

If you are choosing between two general system monitors, our Stats vs iStat Menus guide covers that pair. This page keeps its focus on the differences between Stats and Tend.

Stats and Tend side by side

A missing item in a public feature list is not proof that an app can never provide it. The table distinguishes documented support from what we could not confirm, rather than treating an undocumented feature as an automatic disadvantage.

Where Stats is stronger

Stats is free and open source under the MIT license. Its wider module set is useful when you want several different hardware views at once. You can put the readings you care about in the menu bar and change their appearance instead of adopting a battery-centered workflow.

Network detail is a clear reason to choose it. The maker documents current upload and download rates, traffic totals and address information. Disk activity, memory and Bluetooth modules also address questions beyond battery use. Tend does not replace that full collection of system modules.

Stats also supports Intel Macs and macOS 12 or later. That makes it an option for machines outside Tend’s Apple silicon and macOS 15 requirements. Check the project’s compatibility notes before using a new beta: the README says only stable macOS versions are supported.

Watch out for: the README marks fan control as legacy and not maintained. That is a support qualification, not evidence that every fan feature is broken. If fan control is your deciding requirement, read its current limitations and your Mac’s supported sensors before relying on it.

Current version, installation and support

The official Releases page lists Stats 3.0.22, released 18 October 2026. The maker’s site states macOS 12 or later and both Intel and Apple silicon support. Version and requirements are separate checks: a new release number alone does not establish compatibility with an unreleased macOS beta.

The project offers its own download and documents Homebrew installation with brew install stats. We did not run that command or install a copy for this comparison. Use the project’s official links, particularly if a third-party download portal offers a different version.

The local Stats app is the product compared here. Its repository also discusses a separate remote monitoring service. Do not infer that every optional service has the same data handling or price simply because the local client is free; review that service separately if you enable it.

Open source lets you inspect the code and report an issue, but it does not promise an immediate fix or a support contract. For troubleshooting, include the relevant app version and macOS version without publishing private process names, IP addresses or logs unnecessarily.

Read the numbers in context

A high CPU percentage, a hot sensor and a large power reading describe different things. A sensor reading is not a diagnosis of a failed battery. Likewise, a busy export may be expected to draw more power while it finishes sooner.

Compare the same workload and power conditions before drawing a conclusion. Screen brightness, an external display and attached storage can change total demand while the app you are watching remains the same. A momentary spike is less informative than sustained behavior with an obvious symptom.

Fan monitoring and fan control are also different. A reading tells you how a supported fan is turning. A control changes behavior. Tend reads fan information in Pro and does not set a fan curve or override the Mac’s cooling control.

For a paid general monitor with a different feature mix, see Tend vs iStat Menus. That comparison includes edition differences; do not assume the direct and Mac App Store versions have identical fan capabilities.

Where Tend fits

Tend’s free view shows current app CPU, memory and estimated energy in watts, plus system power context. Helpers whose executable paths are inside the same outer app bundle are folded into that app. It does not infer ownership of every background service from a parent process or a matching name.

The app list covers processes running as your current user. Services running as root or another system user are not named individually in that list; their cost can still contribute to the macOS share. Use Activity Monitor when you need to inspect all users and individual processes.

Battery Coach brings battery condition, charging and usage context together. Tend can show macOS Charge Limit status where supported, but it does not set that limit, control charging or control fans. The aim is to help you interpret a situation and decide what to investigate.

Free includes CPU temperature and the Thermals widget, alongside 24-hour energy period totals. Pro adds 7- and 30-day energy periods, daily battery-health records, every available sensor and fan reading, and alerts. The longer periods are totals over time, not a replay of every app’s past wattage.

Use the battery health guide when condition is your actual concern. A monitor can make a change easier to notice; it cannot restore lost chemical capacity or promise a particular number of extra hours.

Stats is developed by exelban; Stats and the other named products belong to their respective owners. Tend is not affiliated with exelban or Bjango.

Questions

Related guides

Sources

• exelban, Stats features and requirements.
• exelban, Stats README, license and compatibility and official release history.
• Tend, Free and Pro features and prices.

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