Compare
Spookle, Activity Monitor and Vitals.
All three show what your Mac is doing. Spookle also cleans up after every AI agent and gives you the space back, safely.
| Spookle | Activity Monitor | Vitals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live CPU, memory, disk and network | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| GPU, Neural Engine, temperatures and fans | Yes, fans read only | GPU column and GPU History only | Yes, including fan control |
| Menu bar readings | Yes, one item per reading | None. Dock icon can show CPU | Yes, one item per reading |
| History | 24 hours free, a year with Pro | Live graphs, 12 hours for energy | Up to a year |
| Alerts | Yes, with Pro | None | Yes |
| Dev servers by project and port | Yes | None | Yes |
| Live agent sessions and Quit session | Yes | None | Yes |
| Processes left behind after an agent session ends | Yes, named by agent and project | None | Idle dev servers pointed out |
| Big files, leftovers and app uninstaller with Undo | Yes | None | Not yet, on its public roadmap |
| AI plan usage | Claude only, opt in, from a token you paste. Pro adds a forecast, a 90% alert and up to 6 accounts | None | Opt in, 8 providers including Claude, Codex, Copilot and Cursor, using the sign ins already on your Mac |
| Command line and MCP | Yes, quits only after you allow them, with Pro | top and ps only | Yes |
| Alerts for heavy disk writes | Yes, free. Pro can auto quit leftover agent processes | None | Yes, heavy disk among its alerts |
| Port to worktree and branch map, with wrong server warnings | Yes | None | Not listed on its site |
| Process storm alerts | Yes, with Pro | None | Not listed on its site |
| Automatic cleanup rules, with a dry run first | Yes, with Pro | None | No. Its FAQ says it only quits when you ask |
| Keep awake while agents run | Yes, with Pro, including lid closed on battery | None | Not listed on its site |
| Notifications when an agent finishes or needs approval | Yes, with Pro | None | Shows waiting for you in the Agents tab |
| Unload idle local models | Ollama, with Pro | None | Not listed on its site |
| Desktop widgets | Yes, six | None | Not listed on its site |
| Languages | English and 10 more, partly translated | Yes | English and 11 more |
| macOS | 14 or later | Included with macOS | 15 or later |
Which one to open
Activity Monitor
Free and already on your Mac. Fine for a quick look at one process.
Vitals
A strong monitor if you are on macOS 15 and mainly want readings.
Spookle
Readings plus cleanup: ghosts, ports, big files and leftovers, with a confirm and Undo. Keep awake, agent alerts and runaway watch for Macs that run AI agents, on macOS 14 and later.
Questions
Is Spookle a Vitals alternative?
Yes. Both are menu bar system monitors with dev servers and agents. Spookle adds cleanup of what every AI agent leaves behind, Big files and an uninstaller with Undo, and runs on macOS 14.
Does Spookle replace Activity Monitor?
For everyday questions, yes: what is using memory, CPU, battery or a port. Activity Monitor still has specialist tools such as sampling a process.
Which one is best on macOS 14?
Spookle and Activity Monitor run on macOS 14. Vitals needs macOS 15 or later.
Sources
- vitalsmac.com, features, comparison table and FAQ
- Activity Monitor User Guide