Coming soon for macOS 14+

Unlock the mystery of what’s using your Mac.

Mac Headroom turns a noisy list of CPU and memory processes into a clear answer: the apps responsible.

Unlock the mystery $4.99 See it in action

One-time purchase No account No network access

One glance. One answer.

10: top apps, not hundreds of processes
5 sec: default refresh interval
0: accounts, trackers, or network calls

01 / Less noise

Fourteen processes. One useful answer.

Browsers and desktop apps split their work across helpers, renderers, and background services. Mac Headroom gathers them back into the app name you recognize.

Expand any grouped row when you want the technical detail.

Google Chrome

Chrome Helper (Renderer)

Chrome Helper (GPU)

Chrome Helper (Renderer)

+10 more processes

Google Chrome 14 processes combined 18.4%

Total CPU 18.4%

Google Chrome 8.2%
Chrome Helper (Renderer) 4.7%
Chrome Helper (GPU) 2.9%
11 more 2.6%

02 / Clear context

Simple at first glance. Precise when you want it.

Everyday Mac users get a clear app name. Developers and power users can open the row to inspect every child process and its individual load.

Readable for everyone Detailed on demand

03 / Private by design

Your process list stays where it belongs: on your Mac.

Mac Headroom has no account, no analytics, and no network code. It reads what it needs locally, shows you the answer, and sends nothing.

Mac App Store sandbox
Zero third-party dependencies
Quiet when the popover is closed

Coming soon

Solve one of your Mac’s oldest little mysteries.

Mac Headroom is coming to the Mac App Store for a $4.99 one-time purchase.

App Store link arrives at launch

No subscription. No account. Just a little more headroom.

$ 4.99 one time

The practical details

A few good questions.

Is Mac Headroom an Activity Monitor replacement?

No. It is the fast, focused answer you want before opening Activity Monitor: which apps are using the most CPU and memory right now?

Why can its memory number differ from Activity Monitor?

Mac Headroom uses resident memory because the Mac App Store sandbox does not expose another app’s physical-footprint value. Apps with many shared helper processes can read higher as a result.

Does it monitor my Mac when I’m not looking?

Sampling pauses when the popover is closed unless you choose to show live CPU usage in the menu bar. The app is designed to stay near zero CPU when idle.

Which Macs can run it?

Mac Headroom requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.