Taskglass vs iStat Menus
By Junaid, maker of Taskglass · Updated · I make Taskglass, so weigh it accordingly
Short answer
iStat Menus is the classic, polished menu bar monitor and a great choice if you want dense, configurable stats in your menu bar. Taskglass is a full window app focused on explaining what you see: plain-English process explanations, apps with their helpers grouped, a 30-day timeline with event markers, and per-app battery drain.
Choose iStat Menus if…
- You live in the menu bar and want many configurable stats there.
- You want to buy through the Mac App Store or already pay for Setapp.
- You want to try before you buy with a free trial.
Choose Taskglass if…
- You want explanations and an "Is this safe?" badge for every process.
- You want a 30-day timeline that tells you what happened at 14:12.
- You want one license for up to 3 Macs.
Side by side
| Feature | Taskglass | iStat Menus 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $5 one-time (launch ladder), then $14 | $11.99 one-time (family license available) |
| Where it lives | Window app plus a menu bar popover | Menu bar |
| Plain-English process explanations | 214 processes | No |
| Apps with helpers grouped | Yes | Top processes list in dropdowns |
| Timeline with automatic event markers | 30 days | History graphs, no event explanations |
| RAM Advisor | Yes | No |
| Trial | No trial, 30-day money-back guarantee | Free trial |
| Distribution | Direct download | Direct, Mac App Store, Setapp |
iStat Menus 7 details checked November 5, 2026. Products change, so check with Bjango for the latest.
What iStat Menus does well
- Over a decade of polish from a respected indie developer.
- Highly configurable menu bar items for CPU, GPU, memory, disks, network, sensors and battery.
- Detailed dropdown graphs and notifications.
- Fair one-time pricing and available on the Mac App Store and Setapp.
- Offers a free trial.
Where it falls short
- Menu-bar-first: great for numbers at a glance, less suited to answering "what is this process?"
- No built-in library explaining macOS processes.
- Some long-time users were unhappy with parts of the version 7 redesign.
At a glance
- Price
- $11.99 one-time (Family license also available)
- Made by
- Bjango
- Get it from
- Direct, Mac App Store and Setapp
Questions
Can I use Taskglass and iStat Menus together?
Yes. Many people keep iStat Menus for menu bar numbers and open Taskglass when they want to know why something is happening. Taskglass shows its own CPU, RAM and disk writes, so you can check it stays light.