At a glance
| Live menu bar speeds | History by app | Cap alerts | Blocks apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drippy | ✓ | Day, week, month, per network | ✓ | ✓ |
| TripMode | — | Session to month | ✓ | ✓ |
| iStat Menus | ✓ | Live top apps | — | — |
| Little Snitch | ✓ | Per connection | — | ✓ |
| Stats | ✓ | — | — | — |
| Activity Monitor | — | Since startup | — | — |
Free options
Activity Monitor is already on your Mac: the Network tab shows bytes per process since each one started. Stats is free and open source and puts speeds in the menu bar next to CPU, memory and sensors. Neither keeps history or knows about your data plan.
If you need to block apps
TripMode cuts apps off on networks you choose, usually a phone hotspot, until you allow them. Little Snitch is a full outgoing firewall that asks before apps connect and shows every server they reach. LuLu is a free, open-source one. See the best firewall apps for Mac.
If you need to watch the whole Mac
iStat Menus is the most complete system monitor for the menu bar: CPU, GPU, memory, disks, sensors, battery and network, with public IP and outage alerts.
If you need to track a data plan
Drippy is built for it. Live speeds in the menu bar, usage kept by day, week and month, by app and by network, and a warning before you hit your cap. It also catches outages and IP changes and runs scheduled speed tests, and its firewall can block apps on your hotspot or once you're near the cap.
Questions
What's the best free network monitor for Mac?
Stats for live speeds in the menu bar, Activity Monitor or nettop for per-process totals. Neither keeps daily or monthly history.
How do I monitor data usage on a Mac hotspot?
Use an app that tracks usage per network, like Drippy or TripMode, and set your plan's cap so you're warned before you run out.
Which app shows internet speed in the Mac menu bar?
Drippy, iStat Menus, Stats and Little Snitch all can. macOS itself can't.