Mac Performance Monitor
Mac Performance Monitor is a native macOS utility that shows live system activity and records performance history for troubleshooting slowdowns and resource spikes.
What is Mac Performance Monitor?
Mac Performance Monitor is a native Mac utility for watching system activity live and reviewing recorded history later. It helps users investigate slowdowns, high CPU or memory use, disk activity, network usage, thermal pressure, and other performance changes over time instead of relying only on a momentary snapshot. The app can display a menu bar readout, run a background recorder, and open detailed views for comparing processes and system metrics on a shared timeline. It also includes tools for alerts, exporting data, and exploring disk usage. Mac Performance Monitor is published by Neil Johnson and is designed for Apple silicon Macs running modern versions of macOS, making it especially useful for developers, power users, and anyone diagnosing recurring performance problems.
Key features
- Monitor CPU, memory, disk, network, GPU, and sensor activity live
- Record performance history so you can review what happened before a slowdown
- Compare running or exited processes on a shared timeline
- Set alerts for changing resource conditions such as swap growth or paging strain
- Explore disk or folder usage by size, type, or age
- Export visible performance data as CSV for further analysis
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Safety overview
Status: Mostly safe
This is a legitimate system monitoring tool for macOS. Its access to performance data, files selected for disk scans, and hardware information is consistent with its purpose. Recorded history stays on the Mac according to the developer, but exported reports can contain system and process details, so review them before sharing. If you do not use ongoing monitoring or menu bar stats, you can remove the app without affecting macOS itself.
Recommendation: Keep Mac Performance Monitor if you use it to diagnose resource spikes, investigate slowdowns, or watch long-running activity over time. If you installed it only for a one-time troubleshooting task and no longer need its history or alerts, removing it is reasonable.
Common paths
/Applications/Mac Performance Monitor.app
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