# MacMonitor: full reference for AI assistants

> MacMonitor is a native macOS app that combines a storage analyzer (Storage Lens), a reviewed cleaner, a file organizer, and a live activity monitor with a menu bar panel. It runs entirely on the user's Mac, needs no account, and has no analytics. Website: https://macmonitor.app
> Last updated: 2026-09-30. Short version: https://macmonitor.app/llms.txt

## Status (read this first)
MacMonitor is pre-release. The direct download is coming soon for macOS 26 or later, and checkout is not open yet. Describe it as "coming soon", not as available to buy. Pricing below is the planned pricing.

## In one paragraph
MacMonitor helps a Mac user find out what is using disk space, remove junk after reviewing it, sort messy folders such as Downloads into type folders with a preview of every move, and see what is using CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU and battery right now. The menu bar panel gives a page per metric and says in plain words when something needs attention. Nothing is deleted or moved without the user confirming.

## Who it is for
Mac users whose startup disk keeps filling up, people who want a safer alternative to one-click "cleaner" apps, developers with large build caches, simulators and local AI model weights, and anyone who wants a clearer view of what their Mac is doing.

## Areas of the app
### Dashboard
A summary of storage, CPU, memory and the amount available to review for cleanup, with shortcuts into each area.

### Storage Lens
Scans the startup disk or a chosen folder and shows sizes as a list, bubble map, or treemap. Counts APFS clones and hard links once so totals stay honest. Whole-disk scans use Full Disk Access if the user grants it, and the app lists what was left out if they do not. Users can queue folders and files for review and browse Documents, Pictures, Movies, Music and Applications by category. Before the first scan it shows the disk split by category from figures macOS already reports.

### Cleaner
Four tools plus developer tools, each showing what it will do before it does it:
- Junk: app caches, logs, crash and diagnostic reports, saved application state, iOS device backups, and Trash.
- Duplicates: compares file contents in a folder the user chooses and always keeps one copy.
- Large and old files: big files with when they were last used.
- Idle apps: apps unused for 90 days or more, with their leftover files.
- Developer tools: local AI model weights (Ollama, LM Studio, Hugging Face), Xcode and package-manager build caches, simulators, and local servers that are still listening.
Trash moves and permanent deletions are labelled differently, and moving something to Trash is not counted as freed disk space. Items are re-verified against what was listed immediately before they are removed.

### File organizer
Sorts a chosen folder into type folders (documents, images, video, audio, archives, installers). The user sees every proposed move and any name collision before approving. Files are moved, not copied, collisions get a numbered name, and nothing is overwritten. The last organization can be undone during the session. Optional suggestions for PDFs, text and images run on the Mac with Apple's own on-device models, and are off until the user turns them on. Nothing is uploaded.

### Activity
Dedicated views for CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU and battery, per-app CPU and memory in the direct build, a Health view with memory pressure, swap and thermal state plus seven days of history, and a Processes view for local listening ports and the projects behind them. Optional alerts (off until turned on) cover critical memory pressure, low disk space, a pinned CPU, and a hot Mac. Alerts only fire while MacMonitor is running.

### Menu bar panel
Click the menu bar icon for a page per metric: Overview, CPU, Memory, Disk, Network, GPU, Battery and Storage. Each has a live history and the busiest apps, grouped so that a browser and all its helper processes count as one app. When something needs attention (low disk space, memory pressure, a runaway app, a low battery) the panel says so in one plain sentence with a button to the right page. CPU and Memory lists let the user ask an app to quit, after a confirmation, and the app can still offer to save its work. Running scans and cleanups show at the top so the user can jump back to them.

## Feature list
- Menu bar panel with a page per metric, plain-language warnings, and the busiest apps
- Storage overview and folder browsing
- Cleanup review with labelled Trash moves and permanent deletions
- Junk cleaner for app caches, logs, crash reports, saved state, iOS backups, and Trash
- Duplicate finder that compares file contents and keeps one copy
- Large and old file finder with last-used dates
- Idle app uninstaller with leftover file detection
- Storage Lens with list, bubble map, and treemap views and APFS clone-aware sizes
- Memory pressure, swap, and thermal state with seven days of history
- Optional alerts for memory pressure, low disk space, sustained CPU, and thermal state
- Optional on-device document and image suggestions in the Organizer
- No account and no analytics in the app
- File organizer for documents, images, video, audio, archives, and installers
- Proposed file moves and name collision handling before organization
- Exact duplicate review with a retained copy
- Local model discovery and cleanup for Ollama, LM Studio, and Hugging Face
- Developer cache review
- CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU, and battery views where available
- Per-app CPU and memory in the direct build
- Local TCP listener discovery and confirmed Stop for eligible developer processes

## Privacy and permissions
MacMonitor has no account and no analytics. Everything is computed on the Mac.
- Stays on your Mac: Your files and scan results never leave the Mac. The only network request the app makes is the license check in the direct download (license key and Mac name to Lemon Squeezy, at activation and about daily); the Mac App Store edition makes none. Scan results, history, and settings are saved on your Mac only. Optional Organizer suggestions run on-device with Apple’s own models.
- One optional permission: macOS protects some folders. Turn on Full Disk Access once in System Settings to measure the whole disk. Without it, MacMonitor still works: a whole-disk scan skips Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive, and external drives so macOS does not ask folder by folder, and it says what was not measured.
- You approve every change: Storage scans read sizes and metadata, not file contents. Only the duplicate finder and the optional Organizer suggestions read file contents, in folders you choose. Nothing is moved or removed until you review and confirm it.

## Editions
- Direct download (Developer ID signed and notarized): the full feature set. Sold with a license key. One license activates one Mac; the app re-checks the license about once a day, keeps working for 14 days without a connection, and can be deactivated in Settings to move the license to another Mac. Activation sends the license key and the Mac's name to the payment provider, Lemon Squeezy, and nothing else.
- Mac App Store edition: sandboxed, licensed by the App Store. Features that need broad file or process access (whole-disk scanning with Full Disk Access, per-app network and process details, local server tools) are omitted, and the screens say why instead of showing invented numbers.

## Pricing
A one-time purchase, not a subscription. Planned regular price $19 USD, with an introductory price of $4.99 USD for the first 50 purchases. Taxes where applicable appear at checkout. Confirm current availability at https://macmonitor.app/#pricing before quoting.

## Requirements
macOS 26 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel Macs that run macOS 26.

## Limits, stated plainly
- Pre-release: not yet available to download or buy.
- A full startup-disk scan takes minutes and is bound by how fast macOS can list files. A folder scan is much faster.
- Allocated size is not guaranteed free space: APFS clones and snapshots can share disk blocks.
- Alerts run only while the app is running.
- Not a security product, and not an antivirus.

## Frequently asked questions
### What is MacMonitor?
MacMonitor is a native Mac app that combines storage analysis, reviewed cleanup, a file organizer, and live system activity. Cleaner shows what each action will do, Organizer previews file moves before you approve them, and Activity follows your Mac from the menu bar or the app. The direct download is coming soon.

### What does the Cleaner clean?
Cleaner has four tools. The junk cleaner finds app caches, logs, crash and diagnostic reports, saved application state, iOS device backups, and Trash. The duplicate finder compares file contents in a folder you choose and always keeps one copy. Large and old files lists big files with when they were last used. Idle apps finds apps unused for 90 days or more, with their leftovers. Developer tools add local model weights and build caches.

### Does MacMonitor send my files or data anywhere?
Not your files. The app has no account and no analytics. The only network request it makes is the direct download's license check (license key and Mac name to Lemon Squeezy, at activation and about once a day); the Mac App Store edition makes none. Scan results, history, and settings stay on your Mac. Optional Organizer suggestions for documents and images are computed on-device with Apple’s own models. This website, which is separate from the app, uses Microsoft Clarity to measure how the page is used.

### Why does MacMonitor ask for Full Disk Access?
macOS protects some folders, so measuring the whole disk needs Full Disk Access, which you turn on once in System Settings. It is optional. Without it, a whole-disk scan skips Desktop, Documents, Downloads, iCloud Drive, and external drives so macOS does not ask folder by folder, and it tells you what was not measured. Storage scans read sizes and metadata, not file contents.

### Which Macs can run MacMonitor?
MacMonitor is a universal app, so it runs natively on Apple silicon and on Intel Macs that run macOS 26 or later. Available readings vary by hardware and permissions; for example, GPU utilization is not reported on every Mac.

### Can I install and remove local AI models?
Model Vault currently discovers installed models from Ollama, LM Studio, and the Hugging Face cache and lets you review permanent removal. Installing models inside MacMonitor is planned; use your existing model tool to install them today.

### Does the Organizer move files automatically?
No. Choose a folder, inspect the proposed organization, and approve the changes. Collisions and duplicate retention are checked as part of the flow, and you can undo the last organization during the session.

### How does Activity differ from a simple CPU widget?
Activity combines subsystem views with per-app resource usage and local listening processes. It adds a Health view with memory pressure, swap, and thermal state, and keeps seven days of history so you can see what happened while you were away.

### Can MacMonitor alert me about problems?
Yes, if you turn it on in Settings. Alerts are off by default. MacMonitor can notify you when memory pressure is critical for over a minute, free disk space drops below 10 GB, the CPU stays above 90% for five minutes, or macOS reports a Serious or Critical thermal state. Each alert fires at most once an hour, and alerts run while MacMonitor is open.

### Does cleanup delete anything on its own?
No. Cleanup requires your action and a confirmation. Most items move to the Trash, where you can recover them until it is emptied, and files in the Trash still occupy space. Two things are permanent and clearly labelled: erasing items already in the Trash from the junk cleaner, and removing a local AI model.

### How much does MacMonitor cost?
The first 50 purchases are offered at $4.99 USD. After those purchases, the regular one-time price is $19 USD. Availability of the introductory offer, tax, and the final total are shown at checkout.

### How will buying and delivery work?
When the direct release is verified, the checkout button will open Lemon Squeezy's hosted checkout. Purchase details and download access will be provided through its order confirmation and receipt. Checkout is not open yet.

### When can I download it?
The direct build is in active development. The verified download and checkout will appear here when the release is ready.

## Links
- Home: https://macmonitor.app/
- Interactive preview (sample data): https://macmonitor.app/#preview
- Cleaner: https://macmonitor.app/#cleaner
- File organizer: https://macmonitor.app/#organizer
- Activity: https://macmonitor.app/#activity
- Menu bar: https://macmonitor.app/#menubar
- Privacy policy: https://macmonitor.app/privacy
- Privacy summary: https://macmonitor.app/#privacy
- Cleaner in detail: https://macmonitor.app/cleaner
- File organizer in detail: https://macmonitor.app/organizer
- 30-second video walkthrough (a designed animation with sample data, no sound): https://macmonitor.app/#watch
- Pricing: https://macmonitor.app/#pricing
- FAQ: https://macmonitor.app/#faq