How Customizable Are Stats Menu Bar Widgets?

Updated

Stats lets you customize its menu bar widgets in three main ways: each of its 9 monitoring modules can be displayed in one of 13 widget styles (charts, numbers, gauges, dots, and more), and you can combine, reorder, and color those widgets to build a menu bar layout that matches how you work. The clock module is separately customizable, with support for multiple time zones and a calendar. All of this is available in the free, open-source app for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 12 or later.

What you can customize

The customization options described on mac-stats.com break down into these layers:

Layer What you can change Why it matters
Module Which of the 9 modules appear (CPU, GPU, RAM, Disk, Sensors, Network, Battery, Bluetooth, Clock) Decide what information is worth a permanent spot in your menu bar
Widget style How each module is shown: chart, number, gauge, or dot Match density to your preference — a dot for a quick glance, a chart for trends
Layout Combine and reorder widgets Put the readings you check most often where your eye lands first
Appearance Color each widget Distinguish modules at a glance or match your menu bar theme
Clock Custom clock and calendar with multiple time zones Useful if you work across time zones

The 13 widget styles

Every module can be rendered as a chart, a number, a gauge, or a dot. The site lists 13 widget styles in total, including:

  • Charts: mini line chart, bar chart, pie chart, network chart
  • Readings: speed, label, tachometer, memory, battery, stack
  • Minimal: dot, text

The practical difference is information density. A dot or plain number takes minimal menu bar space and is readable in a glance; a line or bar chart shows a trend over time but occupies more room. The network chart and speed styles are aimed at throughput monitoring, while the tachometer and gauge styles suit values with a natural range, such as load or battery level.

A concrete configuration example

Suppose you want to watch CPU load, memory pressure, and network throughput without cluttering the menu bar:

  1. Enable the CPU, RAM, and Network modules.
  2. Set CPU to a mini line chart so you can see spikes, not just the current value.
  3. Set RAM to a number or dot to keep it compact.
  4. Set Network to the network chart or speed style.
  5. Reorder the three so the one you check most often sits leftmost, and assign each a distinct color.

The expected result is a menu bar strip where trends and current values are both visible, with no module taking more space than you chose.

What each module can show

Customization only matters if the underlying data is useful. Per the site, the modules cover:

  • CPU: real-time load, frequency, and temperature, plus a live list of the most demanding processes
  • GPU: utilization, memory, and temperature for Intel, AMD, and Apple Silicon graphics
  • RAM: memory pressure, used and free RAM, swap usage, and top memory-consuming apps
  • Disk: free and used space, read/write activity, and SMART health per drive
  • Sensors: temperature, voltage, power, and fan-speed readings
  • Network: upload/download speeds, total data usage, and local and public IP addresses
  • Battery: charge level, health, cycle count, time remaining, and power source
  • Bluetooth: battery levels of connected devices such as keyboards, mice, and headphones
  • Clock: customizable clock and calendar with multiple time zones

Conditions and caveats

  • Requirements: macOS 12 or later; works on both Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 and later) and Intel Macs.
  • Cost: the site describes Stats as completely free and open-source, with no ads, tracking, or subscriptions. No paid tier or account requirement is mentioned.
  • Installation: download directly or install via Homebrew.
  • Version referenced: v3.0.21, as listed on the site.

If your priority is a minimal menu bar, lean on dots and numbers; if you want to spot trends without opening Activity Monitor, charts are the better fit. Either way, the combination, order, and color of widgets are yours to set.