We make Multimeter. We put AlDente on this page because people search for both, and we tried to say plainly where AlDente is the better choice.
Side by side
| Multimeter | AlDente | coconutBattery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 one-time | Free, Pro paid | Free, Plus $12.95 one-time |
| Open source | No | No | No |
| CPU, memory, disk, network | Yes (no per-app lists) | No | No |
| Temperature sensors and GPU | Thermal pressure only, no temperatures or GPU | Battery temperature for Heat Protection | Battery temperature ranges (Plus) |
| Fan speed | Speed (read only) | No | No |
| Battery and Bluetooth accessory batteries | Yes, keyboards, mice and trackpads | Charge limits, hardware percentage (Pro) | Mac, iPhone and iPad battery health |
| Power draw in watts | Yes, on laptops | Power Flow diagram | Charge and discharge rate ranges (Plus) |
| Timers, countdowns, day progress | Yes | No | No |
| Your own numbers (script, web address, file, link) | All four | No | No |
| Custom looks you can build yourself | 35 built in, build your own | Custom menu bar icons (Pro) | No |
| Runs on | macOS 13+ | macOS 12 to 27 | macOS 12+ |
| Latest release | 1.0.0, October 2026 | 1.40.1, Oct 2026 | 4.4, Sep 2026 |
AlDente: A charge limiter: it stops your MacBook charging at a level you pick, to spend less time at 100%, with discharge, heat protection and sailing modes in Pro. Free charge limiter; Pro is a yearly subscription or a lifetime license (shown to us as €11.49 a year or €23.99 lifetime), also on Setapp. Runs on macOS 12 Monterey to macOS 27. Latest release: 1.40.1 (October 29, 2026).
Multimeter: Live meters for anything in the Mac menu bar, each drawn by a face you pick or build yourself. $19.99 one-time, no subscription. Runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Where AlDente is better
- It changes how your Mac charges: a charge limit (free), plus discharge, Sailing Mode, Heat Protection, Top Up and Calibration Mode in Pro. Multimeter only measures; it never changes charging.
- A live Power Flow diagram of where power goes between the charger, the battery and the MacBook, and (in Pro) a list of apps using significant energy.
- The battery management system’s own percentage as a menu bar item (Pro).
- Schedules, sleep control and Apple Shortcuts actions for charging (Pro).
- The charge limiter is free, and it runs on macOS 12 Monterey.
Where Multimeter is different
- Different job. AlDente controls charging; Multimeter shows numbers. Many people run both: AlDente to cap the charge, Multimeter to watch percent, time left and watts.
- Power draw as a number in watts, with a sparkline of recent history if you want one, and warning and critical alerts on any battery meter.
- Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and trackpad batteries, CPU, memory, network, timers, countdowns and your own numbers next to the battery.
- One-time $19.99, no subscription option to weigh.
Which one to pick
Choose AlDente if you want to limit charging to protect the battery. Multimeter does not do that, and the free AlDente charge limiter does.
Choose Multimeter if you want to see the battery, not steer it: percent and time left, power draw in watts, your mouse and keyboard batteries, and anything else you want in the menu bar. Browse the 35 built-in faces to see what they look like.
Running Multimeter with AlDente
- Keep AlDente in charge of charging. Multimeter reads the battery and never changes it, so the two don’t conflict.
- Use Multimeter’s battery meter for percent and time left; it follows what macOS reports, including a held charge limit.
- Add a Power Draw meter to see how many watts your Mac is using, with a Sparkline face for recent history.
- Set warning and critical levels on the battery meter and turn on the notification for critical.
More detail in switching to Multimeter from another menu bar monitor.
Questions
Can Multimeter limit charging like AlDente?
No. Multimeter only measures. For a charge limit, use AlDente; its charge limiter is free.
Do AlDente and Multimeter work together?
Yes. They do different things: AlDente controls charging, Multimeter shows the readings. Running both is common.
Does AlDente show watts?
AlDente’s features page describes Power Flow, a live diagram of power moving between the charger, the battery and the MacBook. Multimeter’s Power Draw meter shows the Mac’s power use as a number in watts, on laptops, with any face.
Which costs less?
AlDente’s charge limiter is free; Pro is a yearly subscription or a lifetime license (shown to us as €11.49 a year or €23.99 lifetime in October 2026). Multimeter is $19.99 one-time.
How we checked
We make Multimeter, so read this with that in mind. Competitor facts come from each maker’s own site, README or store listing, checked on October 30, 2026, and are linked below. "Not on its feature page" means we looked and didn’t find it, not that it can’t be done. Multimeter’s numbers are measured on our own Macs. Spot something out of date? Email hello@greatwork.company and we’ll fix it.
- AlDente: AlDente pricing page (free and Pro features, prices, macOS)
- AlDente: AlDente features page
- AlDente: github.com/AppHouseKitchen/AlDente-Charge-Limiter (releases)
- coconutBattery: coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery (features, editions, version, macOS)
- coconutBattery: coconut-flavour’s FastSpring checkout prices (US, before tax)