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Nongfsq/ftop

A small native macOS system monitor for Apple Silicon Macs, shown as one floating glass panel that resizes to fit.

Open-source alternative to:iStat MenusActivity Monitor

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Last commit
6 days ago

What is it?

ftop is a system monitor for Apple Silicon Macs that replaces a terminal tool like htop or btop with a native floating window. It shows the current state only: per-core CPU usage and frequency grouped by core type, memory and swap, network speed, GPU, total power draw, temperature, and the busiest apps with their icons. Helper processes are folded into the app they belong to.

The panel adapts its layout as you drag its edges, so small windows keep the essentials and large ones show more processes. A settings block and an optional plain-text config file control what is displayed. A menu bar item can show one reading such as CPU, memory, or GPU. Readings the hardware does not provide are shown as unavailable rather than zero.

Some readings, such as per-core frequency and temperature, come from private macOS interfaces, so they may change with macOS updates. Full system process visibility requires running a one-time privileged helper command. The app requires macOS 15 or later.

Key features

  • 01Per-core CPU usage and frequency, grouped by core type.
  • 02Memory, swap, compression, and memory pressure readings.
  • 03Current network download and upload speed.
  • 04GPU usage, memory, and power, plus total system power draw.
  • 05Process list with app icons and helper processes merged into their parent app.
  • 06Layout adapts automatically as the window is resized.

Use cases

  • Watching CPU, GPU, and memory while a local LLM, build, or compile job runs.
  • Keeping a compact system overview visible on the desktop without a terminal tab.
  • Finding which app is responsible for high load on an Apple Silicon Mac.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the app from the releases page and move Ftop.app to ~/Applications

  2. 2

    Link the ftop command into your PATH

    mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && ln -sfn ~/Applications/Ftop.app/Contents/MacOS/ftop ~/.local/bin/ftop
  3. 3

    Open the panel

    ftop

Things to know

  • Apple Silicon Macs only, and it requires macOS 15 or later.
  • Per-core frequency and temperature rely on private macOS interfaces that may break after a macOS update.
  • It cannot be distributed through the Mac App Store.
  • Seeing system processes requires a one-time sudo grant that installs a setuid root helper.

Topics

#macos#system-monitor#apple-silicon#swift#appkit#performance-monitor#menubar#activity-monitor#btop#cpu-monitor

FAQ

What is ftop?
A small native macOS system monitor for Apple Silicon Macs, shown as one floating glass panel that resizes to fit. ftop is a system monitor for Apple Silicon Macs that replaces a terminal tool like htop or btop with a native floating window. It shows the current state only: per-core CPU usage and frequency grouped by core type, memory and swap, network speed, GPU, total power draw, temperature, and the busiest apps with their icons. Helper processes are folded into the app they belong to.
Is ftop free to use? What license does it have?
ftop is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is ftop still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to ftop was on Oct 14, 2026.
What can I use ftop for?
Watching CPU, GPU, and memory while a local LLM, build, or compile job runs. Keeping a compact system overview visible on the desktop without a terminal tab. Finding which app is responsible for high load on an Apple Silicon Mac.
How do I install ftop?
Download the app from the releases page and move Ftop.app to ~/Applications Link the ftop command into your PATH: mkdir -p ~/.local/bin && ln -sfn ~/Applications/Ftop.app/Contents/MacOS/ftop ~/.local/bin/ftop Open the panel: ftop
Where can I get ftop?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Nongfsq/ftop

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