SpotlessSpotless vs iStat Menus
Spotless puts disk, memory, processor and network in the menu bar and then lets you act on what fills the disk: a space map, a growth tracker and cleanup with a Trash-first undo. iStat Menus is a monitoring tool. This page compares the two for people who want to watch and fix their Mac.
Where Spotless wins
- Monitor and act. iStat Menus' published feature list has no cleaning, scanning, explaining or what-grew tools. Spotless shows free space and then names what is using it.
- What grew. Spotless compares scans and tells you which folders grew fastest, with an alert when something grows past a size you set.
- A free-space forecast. Free-space history is recorded and a forecast shows when the disk will run low.
- Low-space and growth alerts. Set a free-space threshold and Spotless notifies you.
- One app, one price. $9 once covers the monitor, the space map, cleanup, duplicates, developer storage and an app uninstaller. iStat Menus 7 is $11.99 on the Mac App Store.
- Memory with action. The Memory page lists the apps using the most memory and lets you quit them.
Also in Spotless
- Nothing is ticked after a scan. You review the exact list before anything moves.
- Removed items go to the Trash first, with a Restore list in the app.
- Every item can explain itself: what it is, which app owns it, and what happens if it goes.
- System Data split into named folders, with sizes you can check against macOS.
- Startup items, memory and a menu bar monitor for disk, memory, processor and network.
- Export what would be removed as a text list. Keyboard shortcuts for everything.
- Scheduled cleaning: weekly, every 2 weeks or monthly, Spotless moves only items marked Safe to the Trash and notifies you. Restore any of it from Recently Deleted.
iStat Menus and Spotless, feature by feature
| Feature | iStat Menus | Spotless |
|---|---|---|
| Disk and memory in the menu bar | Yes, among many other sensors | Disk, memory, processor, network and Docker items, with free-space history |
| What fills the disk | ✗ | Treemap space map, folder explorer, System Data breakdown, large and old files |
| Cleaning | ✗ | Caches, logs, duplicates, installers, developer storage, app leftovers |
| What grew | ✗ | Growth tracker and alerts |
| Low-space alert | Alert rules for disk size or usage | Low-space alert plus growth alert and forecast |
| Memory | Memory pressure and per-app usage | Top apps by memory with a Quit button |
| Price | $11.99 on the Mac App Store | $9 once |
Price
iStat Menus 7 is $11.99 on the Mac App Store (seen 2026-11-11); Bjango's own page showed a placeholder price. Spotless is $9 once, with the monitor and every cleaning tool included. See Spotless pricing.
Switching from iStat Menus to Spotless
Turn on the Spotless menu bar items from Settings and choose which to show: disk, memory, processor, network or Docker. Click the disk item to see what grew and open the space map from there.
See also: Menu bar, Memory, Space map.
Frequently asked questions
Can Spotless replace iStat Menus?
For disk, memory, processor and network readouts with the ability to clean, yes. Spotless adds a space map, growth tracking and cleanup.
Can Spotless tell me what is filling my disk?
Yes. The space map, System Data page and growth tracker each show where the space went.
Does Spotless alert me when disk space is low?
Yes. Pick a free-space threshold and Spotless sends a notification.
Can I run Spotless and iStat Menus together?
Yes. They do not conflict.
Keep comparing
- Spotless vs OnyX: A guided cleaner that explains each item against a maintenance toolbox for experts.
- Spotless vs CleanMyMac: A one-time cleaner that ticks nothing for you against a larger subscription suite.
- Spotless vs DaisyDisk: A disk map that permanently deletes against a map plus a full cleaner with an undo.