SideDock
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The short answer
iStat Menus is a deep system monitor that lives in the menu bar: CPU, GPU, memory, disks, network, temperatures, fans and battery, each with a detailed menu. SideDock keeps your Mac’s vitals in docks at the edge of the screen and in the notch, next to your apps, widgets and Pip. If you want every sensor and control over your fans, iStat Menus is hard to beat. If you want the numbers that matter one hover away, and out of the menu bar, try SideDock.
What each one measures
iStat Menus goes deep: per-core CPU and frequencies, the GPU, memory pressure and swap, disk activity and drive health, network use by app, temperatures, voltages and fans, which it can also speed up. It does weather, world clocks and alerts for most stats, too.
SideDock covers the everyday ones: CPU with a per-core breakdown, memory and what it’s made of, storage, network speed, battery health, and the battery of every Bluetooth device. It shows how hot your Mac is running, but it doesn’t read each temperature sensor or touch the fans.
Where they live
iStat Menus is a set of menu bar items, which you can combine into one. On a MacBook with a notch, macOS hides whatever doesn’t fit to the right of it, as Bjango’s own help explains. SideDock keeps all of this out of the menu bar: in a dock that slides out when you push the pointer to an edge, and in the notch when something needs you.
And a heads-up
Both can warn you when something’s off. iStat Menus lets you set rules for alerts. In SideDock, Pip tells you when your Mac is working hard, short of memory or running hot, and which app is behind it, then gets out of the way.
Price and licenses
| SideDock | iStat Menus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9, $16 or $23 at launch; then $19, $29 or $39, once | $11.99, or $14.99 for a family pack |
| Free trial | 7 days, everything unlocked, no card | 14 days |
| Macs per license | 1, 3 or 5 | Up to 3, or 5 with the family pack |
| Updates | Every update to the version you buy | Every 7.x update; new major versions are a paid upgrade |
| Weather | Included | 6 months included, then paid |
| Needs | Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later | macOS 13.5 or later |
Which one should you get?
- iStat Menus, if you want every sensor, fan control and your stats in the menu bar.
- SideDock, if you want the vitals that matter at the edge, plus docks, a live notch and Pip.
They also get along fine: plenty of people will want both.
A note on fairness
Compared using each app’s own website on October 14, 2026. Features and prices change, so check theirs for the latest. iStat Menus is a trademark of its owner; SideDock isn’t affiliated with it.
Try SideDock free for 7 days
Everything unlocked, no card, no account. Pay once if it stays.