MacBar
MacBar is a free, open-source macOS menu bar system monitor developed by chopsticks. It displays real-time system metrics such as CPU usage, temperature, memory, battery percentage, GPU activity, RAM, and network activity directly in the macOS menu bar. The current stable version is v1.5.8 and requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. MacBar supports Apple Silicon Macs natively (M1, M2, M3, M4) and has legacy support for Intel Macs up to version v1.2.5-Beta, after which Intel updates have been discontinued. MacBar is designed to be lightweight and privacy-focused: it requires no account and collects no telemetry. Users can install the app through several methods, including a Terminal command that bypasses Gatekeeper, an App ZIP, a PKG installer, a DMG image, or by compiling from source using Xcode Command Line Tools. The builds are ad-hoc signed but not Apple-notarized, so first-time users may need to right-click and select Open to bypass macOS security warnings. As an alternative to heavier monitoring tools like iStat Menus or Stats, MacBar offers a simple, focused interface that shows essential stats at a glance. The project is hosted on GitHub (github.com/ilikemacos/MacBar) and also provides CLI, Linux, and legacy Windows versions, though the primary focus is the macOS menu bar experience.
- Category
- Llm Developer Tools
- Pricing
- Unknown
Problem solved
MacBar solves the need to quickly check system performance metrics such as CPU, memory, temperature, battery, GPU, RAM, and network usage without opening Activity Monitor or installing bulky third-party monitoring software. It places these metrics directly in the macOS menu bar for at-a-glance viewing, with a lightweight, privacy-friendly design.
Use cases
- Monitor CPU and memory usage in real-time from the macOS menu bar
- Check MacBook battery percentage and temperature at a glance
- Track network activity without launching Activity Monitor
- Monitor GPU usage during graphics-intensive tasks
- Replace heavier monitoring apps like iStat Menus with a free, open-source alternative
- View system stats on Apple Silicon Macs (M1-M4) without telemetry
Audience
- Developers
- ML Engineers
- Data Scientists
- Hobbyists
Pros
- Free and open-source
- No account or telemetry required
- Lightweight and fast
- Supports Apple Silicon natively
- Multiple installation options (Terminal, ZIP, PKG, DMG, source)
Cons
- Intel Mac support discontinued after v1.2.5-Beta
- Requires macOS 14 or later
- Builds are not Apple-notarized, may trigger Gatekeeper warning
- Limited to menu bar display; no full window dashboard (as per description)
Official website: https://chopstickshq.com/macbar
Canonical LambdaBase page: https://www.lambdabase.com/tools/macbar