Short answer: iStat Menus is an excellent all-round system monitor. It covers CPU, GPU, memory, disks, sensors, battery and network, all in your menu bar. Its network section shows current bandwidth, the top apps using it, your IP addresses, a ping reading and whether you’re online. PeakHour does only one thing: it monitors your internet connection in depth. That covers whole-network bandwidth from your router, latency and packet loss history, the path to your ISP, outage alerts and data caps. If network monitoring is the reason you’re looking at iStat Menus, PeakHour goes much further. If you want an overall view of how your Mac is doing, iStat Menus is the better buy.
At a glance
| PeakHour 6 | iStat Menus 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Monitoring internet connection quality and bandwidth | Monitoring the whole system from the menu bar |
| CPU, GPU, memory, disks, sensors, battery, fans | No | Yes |
| Weather, world clocks | No | Yes (weather included for 6 months, then a subscription) |
| Menu bar network speed | Yes | Yes |
| Bandwidth for top apps on this Mac | No | Yes |
| Public and private IP address | Yes (with ISP details) | Yes |
| Bandwidth for the whole network (router via SNMP/UPnP) | Yes | Not listed |
| Ping | Continuous latency, jitter and packet loss, with history | Ping reading in the menu bar and dropdown |
| Network path / traceroute to your ISP | Yes | Not listed |
| Outage alerts | Yes: on drop and on recovery | Yes: “internet connection is down”; public IP change alerts |
| Speed / responsiveness test (RPM) | Yes | Not listed |
| Wi-Fi signal and channel | Yes | Network name and link speed |
| Data usage caps with alerts | Yes | Not listed |
| Mac App Store | Yes | Yes ($11.99) |
| Setapp | No | Yes (Setapp from $14.99/month) |
| Price | 7-day free trial, then $19.99/year or $59.99 lifetime | $11.99 single, $14.99 family pack (up to 5); upgrade from v6 $9.99 |
| Trial | 7-day free trial in the app | 14 days (direct), 7 days (Setapp) |
| macOS | 14.6 Sonoma or later | macOS 11 or later (direct), 14.0 or later (App Store version) |
Prices are USD, checked September 2026.
Where iStat Menus is better
- Breadth. It covers the whole Mac: per-core CPU, GPU, memory pressure, disk health (S.M.A.R.T.), temperature sensors, fan control and Bluetooth device batteries.
- Per-app bandwidth. It shows which apps on this Mac are using the network right now.
- Price. It’s a one-off purchase of $11.99, and it’s also on Setapp if you already subscribe.
Where PeakHour is better
- The whole network. PeakHour reads traffic straight from your router, so you see every device’s bandwidth, not only your Mac’s.
- Connection quality history. Latency, jitter and packet loss are measured continuously and kept, so you can go back and look at intermittent problems. See how to track ISP performance on macOS.
- Where the problem is. The path view shows whether a problem is on your Wi-Fi, your router or your ISP.
- Data caps. Monthly usage tracking with notification or email alerts.
- Speed and responsiveness tests using Apple’s RPM measurement, plus ISP details for your WAN IP (opt-in).
Using both
iStat Menus for the Mac, PeakHour for the connection. They’re both menu bar apps, so you can turn off iStat Menus’ network item and let PeakHour handle it, or keep both.
Which should you choose?
- Choose iStat Menus if you want a single menu bar app for CPU, memory, temperatures and a quick view of network speed.
- Choose PeakHour if your real problem is the internet connection: slow evenings, dropouts, a data cap, or wanting to see which device is using up the bandwidth.
Other ways to keep an eye on your connection: 7 ways to monitor internet speed on your Mac, and the 5 best bandwidth monitoring tools for Mac in 2026.
Sources
Checked September 25, 2026.
- iStat Menus features, version 7.5, macOS 11+, 14-day trial and Setapp: bjango.com/mac/istatmenus
- Ping, Wi-Fi and link speed features: iStat Menus version history
- Direct prices ($11.99 single, $14.99 family, $9.99 upgrade): Bjango’s checkout
- App Store price, weather in-app purchase and macOS 14.0+: Mac App Store
- Setapp from $14.99/month: setapp.com/pricing
- PeakHour pricing and requirements: Mac App Store
We couldn’t verify how long iStat Menus keeps history, or what weather costs direct buyers after 6 months, so this page doesn’t say.
FAQ
Does iStat Menus monitor network usage?
Yes. It shows bandwidth per network interface, a breakdown of the top apps, IP addresses, a connectivity indicator and a ping reading. It doesn't list router-level bandwidth, packet loss, path tracing or data caps.
Is iStat Menus a subscription?
The direct license is a one-off purchase ($11.99 single, $14.99 family). Weather is included for 6 months and after that needs a subscription on the App Store version ($0.99/month or $4.99/year). It's also available through a Setapp subscription.
Is PeakHour on Setapp?
No. PeakHour is on the Mac App Store as $19.99/year or $59.99 lifetime, and there's a 7-day free trial.