The iStat Menus alternative for Mac
The network half of a full system monitor — live speed, bandwidth by app, and speed tests — focused and inexpensive.
iStat Menus is a comprehensive system monitor: CPU, GPU, memory, sensors, network, and more — if you want all of that, it's excellent and it's a one-time purchase too. nolag is deliberately just the network piece: live up/down speed, top bandwidth apps, and speed tests, for $9.99. Pick iStat Menus for full telemetry, nolag if you only care about the network.
iStat Menus vs nolag
| iStat Menus | nolag | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time | $9.99 once |
| Scope | Full system telemetry | Network only |
| Live up/down speed | Yes | Yes |
| Bandwidth by app | Limited | Yes |
| Built-in speed tests | No | Yes |
| Account / cloud | None | None |
- Focused on networking — no menu-bar clutter from metrics you don't watch
- Live upload/download speed plus a per-app bandwidth breakdown
- Built-in speed tests and one-click DNS, Wi-Fi, and router controls
- Lower price for the narrower job
- Comprehensive: CPU, GPU, memory, disk, sensors, battery, and network
- Highly polished and long-established
- Also a one-time purchase, not a subscription
the only thing you actually check is the network, and you'd rather have a focused, cheaper menu-bar app for exactly that.
you want full-system telemetry — CPU, GPU, memory, sensors — in one tool. iStat Menus does far more than nolag and does it well.
Install nolag and it starts showing live network stats immediately. You can run it alongside iStat Menus or replace iStat's network module with it.
Common questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to iStat Menus just for network monitoring?
nolag is a focused Mac network monitor for $9.99 once. It shows live upload/download speed, which apps are using bandwidth, and built-in speed tests. iStat Menus is the better choice if you also want CPU, GPU, memory, and sensor data.
Does nolag show which apps are using my bandwidth?
Yes — nolag breaks down live bandwidth by app in the menu bar, alongside total up/down speed and speed tests, with no account or cloud.
Done renting iStat Menus?
nolag — network monitor for mac. $9.99 once, no account, no cloud. Yours to keep.