# LiveMetrics > LiveMetrics is a free native macOS app that is a full network + system monitor out of the box. It shows live network speed in the Mac menu bar — upload and download updated every second — and ships with temperature and power draw pinned to the menu bar by default alongside it. It is a passive bandwidth monitor (not a speed test): it reads your Mac's own network interface byte counters, so the numbers reflect the real traffic already flowing through your connection. It tracks today's peak upload/download throughput and draws a rolling speed graph with an adjustable window from 1 up to 30 minutes (5 by default). Beyond the two defaults, LiveMetrics can also pin CPU load, GPU usage, RAM, disk, and fans as menu-bar chips (one tap away). Every chip is customizable — turn any metric off, or swap another in — but at most 6 system metrics fit in the menu bar at once. It also has read-only popover cards for storage (disk space used/free) and, on laptops, battery (charge, time remaining, health % and cycle count). It reads everything locally from IOKit/mach and the Apple SMC, with no kernel extension, no admin rights, and nothing sent off your device. ## Key facts - Version: 1.2 - Platform: macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. - Price: Free. - Distribution: Direct download as an Apple disk image (.dmg) from https://net.mdrashid.com/ . No Mac App Store account required. - Privacy: Reads only local network interface statistics on your Mac and sends nothing off the device. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking. - Performance: Lightweight native Swift/SwiftUI agent app with no Dock icon. Reads counters the system already maintains, so it uses very little CPU. - Interfaces: Works across Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other active connections, automatically following whichever interface is in use. - Developer: Mamunur Rashid (independent developer), https://mdrashid.com/ · GitHub: https://github.com/rocke3/LiveMetrics - Installation: Open the .dmg and drag LiveMetrics to Applications, then open it. LiveMetrics is signed and notarized by Apple (Developer ID: palmy llc), so it opens with a normal double-click — if macOS asks to confirm the download, click Open. It updates itself automatically. See the "Installing LiveMetrics (first launch)" section below for details. - System monitoring: Out of the box, temperature and power draw are pinned to the menu bar by default alongside live network speed. CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, and fans are one tap away. Every metric is customizable — turn any default off, or swap another in — but at most 6 system metrics fit in the menu bar at once. Storage and, on laptops, battery are read-only popover cards (not menu-bar-pinnable). They read directly from IOKit/mach and the Apple SMC, with no kernel extension and no admin rights. - Alternatives: A free, lightweight alternative to iStat Menus, Stats (exelban), and Menu Bar Stats that covers live network throughput plus the core system metrics (CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, temperatures, fans, power, and battery) right in the menu bar in a tiny ~1.4 MB download. iStat Menus is paid and goes deeper — long-term history, notifications, per-process detail, and more sensors — where LiveMetrics focuses on the free essentials. ## What it does - Shows live upload and download speed in the menu bar, refreshed every second. - Tracks today's peak upload and download throughput. - Draws a rolling graph of recent network activity with an adjustable window from 1 up to 30 minutes — 5 by default (built with Swift Charts). - Auto-scaling units: switch between bytes (KB/s, MB/s) and bits (Kb/s, Mb/s). - One-line or two-line menu bar display. - Monitors CPU load (overall % and per-core, user/system split) — pinnable menu-bar chip, one tap away. - Monitors GPU load (utilization %, with the GPU name) — pinnable menu-bar chip, one tap away. - Monitors memory (used %, used/total, macOS memory pressure, compressed + swap) — pinnable menu-bar chip, one tap away. - Monitors temperatures (CPU/GPU/RAM sensors, °C or °F, via the Apple SMC) — pinned to the menu bar by default. - Monitors disk (read/write throughput) — pinnable menu-bar chip, one tap away. - Monitors storage (disk space used/free with a capacity bar) in a popover card — read-only, not menu-bar-pinnable. - Monitors fans (per-fan RPM, or "Fanless" on fanless Macs) — pinnable menu-bar chip, one tap away. - Monitors power draw in watts — on Apple Silicon it reads per-domain SoC power (CPU/GPU/Neural Engine/RAM) from the IOReport "Energy Model" group, plus whole-machine draw from the battery when unplugged; pinned to the menu bar by default with a yellow bolt chip and a popover card with a sparkline and per-domain breakdown. - Monitors battery (laptops only): charge %, charging state, time remaining on battery or time to full on AC, a level-tinted capacity bar, plus long-term battery health % and cycle count — read-only popover card, not menu-bar-pinnable; hidden on desktop Macs. - Ships with temperature and power draw pinned as compact colored menu bar chips (up to 4 pinned chips render 2-per-row as a 2×2; 5–6 pack 3-per-row); each pinnable metric also has a live popover card with a 5-minute sparkline. At most 6 system metrics fit at once, and every chip is customizable. - Optional launch at login. ## How it differs from a speed test A speed test runs once and reports a maximum by generating traffic to a remote server. LiveMetrics runs continuously and passively, showing the real upload and download speed already moving through your Mac, second by second. Use a speed test for a max-throughput reading; use LiveMetrics to see what your connection is actually doing right now. ## System monitoring LiveMetrics is a full network + system monitor out of the box. Alongside live network speed, it ships with temperature and power draw pinned to the menu bar by default; CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, and fans are one tap away. At most 6 system metrics fit in the menu bar at once, and every chip is customizable — turn any default off, or swap in CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, or fans. Up to 4 pinned chips render 2-per-row as a 2×2; 5–6 pack 3-per-row so the menu bar item grows wider, not taller (at most two rows). Each active metric gets a live popover card with a 5-minute sparkline. Storage and, on laptops, battery are read-only popover cards (never menu-bar chips). Metrics you turn off do no work. Everything is read locally from IOKit/mach and the Apple SMC — no kernel extension, no admin rights, nothing leaves your Mac. - CPU: overall load % and per-core usage, with a user/system split and the core count. - GPU: utilization %, on Intel, AMD, or Apple Silicon, showing the GPU name. - RAM: used percentage and used/total, macOS memory pressure (green/yellow/red), plus compressed memory and swap. - Disk: live read and write throughput. - Storage: disk space used and free with a capacity bar (popover card only, not menu-bar-pinnable). - Temperatures: CPU, GPU, and RAM sensors in °C or °F, read via the Apple SMC. - Fans: per-fan RPM, or "Fanless" on Macs with no fans. - Power: live power draw in watts — per-domain SoC power (CPU/GPU/Neural Engine/RAM) from the IOReport "Energy Model" group on Apple Silicon, plus whole-machine draw from the battery (amperage × voltage) when on battery. Root-free, no kernel extension; degrades gracefully on Intel and desktops without the sensors. - Battery (laptops only): charge %, charging state, time remaining on battery or time to full on AC, a level-tinted capacity bar, plus long-term battery health % and cycle count. Read-only popover card, not menu-bar-pinnable; hidden on desktop Macs with no battery. ## LiveMetrics vs alternatives | App | Price | Network | CPU/GPU/RAM | Disk | Temps/Fans | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | LiveMetrics | Free | Yes | Yes (pinnable chip) | Yes (pinnable chip) | Temps & power draw default-on via Apple SMC; fans pinnable; battery on laptops | ~1.4 MB, no Dock icon, sends nothing | | iStat Menus | ~$11.99 one-time (Bjango) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Deeper: longer history, notifications, per-process detail, more sensors | | Stats (exelban) | Free, open-source | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Full-suite, installable via Homebrew | | Activity Monitor | Free (built in) | Window only | Window only | Window only | No | No menu bar readout | LiveMetrics is the lightweight free option for the everyday essentials. iStat Menus is the paid category leader with more depth. Stats is the free open-source full monitor. Activity Monitor requires a window and has no live menu bar readout. ## Installing LiveMetrics (first launch) The download is a ~1.4 MB Apple disk image (.dmg) from https://net.mdrashid.com/ . Open it and drag LiveMetrics to your Applications folder, then eject the disk image. LiveMetrics is signed and notarized by Apple (Developer ID: palmy llc), so it opens with a normal double-click. The first time you open it, macOS may ask "LiveMetrics is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?" — click Open and you're done. No System Settings trip, no right-click > Open, no Terminal command, and no App Store account or Apple ID. Notarization is checked offline, so it works without a network connection. If macOS ever blocks an app with "Apple could not verify…" or "unidentified developer," the download was damaged or incomplete — re-download the .dmg and open it again. Afterwards LiveMetrics updates itself automatically. ## FAQ - Is LiveMetrics free? Yes. LiveMetrics is a free macOS app, distributed as a direct .dmg download. - Does macOS block LiveMetrics on first launch? No. LiveMetrics is signed and notarized by Apple (Developer ID: palmy llc), so it opens with a normal double-click; macOS may just ask you to confirm the download once. If you ever see "Apple could not verify…" or "unidentified developer," the download was damaged — re-download the .dmg from https://net.mdrashid.com/ and open it again. - Is LiveMetrics a speed test? No. It is a passive bandwidth monitor that reports the real throughput already flowing through your Mac, with nothing to run. - Does it work on Wi-Fi and Ethernet? Yes. It reads from your active network interfaces and reports throughput across Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other connections. - Will it slow down my Mac? No. It is a lightweight agent with no Dock icon that only reads existing byte counters, so it uses very little CPU. - Does LiveMetrics collect any data? No. It reads only local interface stats and sends nothing anywhere. No accounts, no tracking. - What are the system requirements? macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. - How do I see network speed in the Mac menu bar? Install LiveMetrics and it places live upload and download speed in your menu bar automatically; enable launch at login so it is always there. - Can LiveMetrics monitor CPU, GPU, RAM, and temperature? Yes — out of the box. Temperature and power draw are pinned to the menu bar by default alongside live network speed, and CPU load, GPU load, RAM, disk, and fans are one tap away. At most 6 system metrics fit in the menu bar at once, and every chip is customizable — turn any default off, or swap in CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, or fans. Storage and, on laptops, battery are read-only popover cards. - How do I show CPU or other system stats in the menu bar? Temperature and power draw are pinned by default, so they appear in the menu bar as soon as you open LiveMetrics. To add CPU, GPU, RAM, disk, or fans (or turn a default off), open LiveMetrics's settings and pin the metric you want. At most 6 system metrics fit at once, shown as compact colored chips — up to 4 pinned chips render 2-per-row as a 2×2, and 5–6 pack 3-per-row — and each also has a popover card with a 5-minute sparkline. LiveMetrics reads these locally from IOKit/mach and the Apple SMC — no kernel extension or admin rights, and nothing is sent off your Mac. - Can LiveMetrics show CPU temperature in the Mac menu bar? Yes — by default. LiveMetrics reads CPU, GPU, and RAM temperature sensors directly from the Apple SMC and displays them in °C or °F, and temperature is one of the two metrics (with power draw) pinned to the menu bar out of the box. No kernel extension or admin password is required. You can turn the Temperatures chip off in settings if you'd rather use that slot for another metric. - Is LiveMetrics a free system monitor for the Mac menu bar? Yes — a full network + system monitor out of the box. Out of the box it shows live network speed plus temperature and power draw in the menu bar; CPU load, GPU usage, RAM, disk activity, and fan speeds are one tap away. At most 6 system metrics fit at once, and every chip is customizable. Storage and, on laptops, battery appear as read-only popover cards. The app is a tiny ~1.4 MB download, has no Dock icon, and reads everything locally with no kernel extension. - Does LiveMetrics auto-update? Yes. LiveMetrics has a built-in automatic updater and notifies you when a new version is available, so you do not need to re-download the .dmg manually. ## Links - [Homepage](https://net.mdrashid.com/): LiveMetrics homepage and download. - [Download (.dmg)](https://net.mdrashid.com/LiveMetrics.dmg): Direct Apple disk image download (~1.4 MB). - [Features](https://net.mdrashid.com/#features): Network, CPU, GPU, RAM, temperature, disk, fans, and power. - [FAQ](https://net.mdrashid.com/#faq): Common questions about install, privacy, and system monitoring. - [Privacy](https://net.mdrashid.com/#privacy): Local-only reads, nothing sent off your Mac. - [GitHub](https://github.com/rocke3/LiveMetrics): Source and release notes. - [Guide — How to show network speed in the Mac menu bar](https://net.mdrashid.com/how-to-show-network-speed-mac-menu-bar): Step-by-step setup guide. - [Comparison — Free iStat Menus alternative for network monitoring](https://net.mdrashid.com/free-istat-menus-alternative-mac): How LiveMetrics compares to iStat Menus. - [Guide — Free Mac menu-bar power monitor (live watts)](https://net.mdrashid.com/free-mac-menu-bar-watts-power-monitor): Live per-domain power draw in the menu bar. - [Comparison — LiveMetrics vs Stats (exelban)](https://net.mdrashid.com/livemetrics-vs-stats): LiveMetrics versus the open-source Stats app.