Side by side

Argus Monitor vs iStat Menus

Both stand on system information software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Argus Monitor

Free plan Windows

Argus Monitor combines detailed fan controls with hardware and storage monitoring for Windows. A 30-day evaluation is listed, followed by licenses from $16.45 a year.

Visit Argus Monitor

iStat Menus combines broad Mac monitoring with configurable menu displays, alerts, disk details and fan controls. Its paid model, macOS requirement and unspecified single-license price are the main points to check before choosing it.

Visit iStat Menus

The facts

	Argus Monitor	iStat Menus
Free plan	Yes	A free trial
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Windows	Mac
Lowest paid plan	1-year renewal: $11.95 a year	Setapp subscription: $9.99 a month
Plans published	5	3
Maker	Argus Monitor	Not published
Website	argusmonitor.com	bjango.com
On system information software	#5 of 36	#32 of 36

Argus Monitor: what it does well

Fan control supports curves, profiles, and rate limits.
Monitors nearly all available HDDs and SSDs through S.M.A.R.T.
A fully functional 30-day evaluation is available.
Each listed license supports two concurrent installations.
No subscription is required.

What to know first

Supports Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 22H2 or later.
RGB controls are limited to supported hardware.
Each additional active installation adds a fee.

iStat Menus: what it does well

Tracks CPU, GPU, memory, disks, network and sensors
Alerts cover metrics, power and weather events
Disk tools include S.M.A.R.T. and per-app usage
Fan speeds can follow temperature and battery state
14-day free trial available

What to know first

macOS only
No free plan
Requires macOS 13 or later
Single and family prices shown as “$?”

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