Multimeter vs SwiftBar and xbar

SwiftBar and xbar are the right tools when a script should own a whole menu: text, icons, dropdown items, actions. They’re free and open source, and SwiftBar is the more recently updated of the two. Multimeter is for when the script produces a number and you want it drawn as a meter (a needle, a sparkline with history, a ring) with a range and alerts, next to battery, CPU and network meters you didn’t have to script.

Prices and features checked October 25, 2026.

Multimeter’s built-in faces, running live on sample data.

We make Multimeter. We put SwiftBar on this page because people search for both, and we tried to say plainly where SwiftBar is the better choice.

Side by side

Prices and features as of October 25, 2026. ✓ yes, ◐ partly, ✕ no.
MultimeterSwiftBarxbar
Price$19.99 one-timeFreeFree
Open sourceNoYes, MITYes, MIT
CPU, memory, disk, networkYes (no per-app lists)Through pluginsThrough plugins
Temperature sensors and GPUThermal pressure only, no temperatures or GPUThrough pluginsThrough plugins
Fan speedSpeed (read only)Through pluginsThrough plugins
Battery and Bluetooth accessory batteriesYes, keyboards, mice and trackpadsThrough pluginsThrough plugins
Power draw in wattsYes, on laptopsThrough pluginsThrough plugins
Timers, countdowns, day progressYesThrough pluginsThrough plugins
Your own numbers (script, web address, file, link)All fourScripts in any languageScripts in any language
Custom looks you can build (HTML/CSS/JS)13 built in, build your ownText and menus a script printsText and menus a script prints
Runs onmacOS 13+macOS 12+macOS 10.15+
Latest release1.0.0, October 2026v2.1.1, Aug 2026v2.1.7-beta, Oct 2021

SwiftBar: A free, open-source app that puts the output of any script in the menu bar, compatible with BitBar and xbar plugins. Free. Runs on macOS 12 Monterey or later. Latest release: v2.1.1 (August 2026).

Multimeter: Live meters for anything in the Mac menu bar, each drawn by a face you pick or build with HTML, CSS and JavaScript. $19.99 one-time, 30-day refund. Runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later.

Where SwiftBar is better

  • Free and open source (MIT), with a plugin repository and every existing BitBar and xbar plugin.
  • A plugin can build a whole dropdown menu with actions, not just show a number.
  • Any language, and refresh intervals down to milliseconds set in the file name.

Where Multimeter is different

  • Battery, CPU, memory, disk, network, power, fan and thermal meters are built in. No scripts needed for the common ones.
  • A script’s number gets a real meter: a needle gauge, a sparkline with history, a ring, an LCD readout, with ranges, colors and warning and critical alerts.
  • Numbers can also come from a JSON web address, a file or a multimeter:// link, without writing a script.
  • A script that hangs is stopped after 10 seconds, and a new run never starts while the last one is still going.

Which one to pick

Choose SwiftBar if you want menus full of text and actions from scripts, for free. If you want your script’s number drawn as a gauge or graph next to built-in system meters, that’s Multimeter.

Choose Multimeter if you want a handful of numbers drawn the way you like them, including ones that aren’t about hardware: a build status, a countdown, a number from a JSON API, or the output of a script. Browse the 13 built-in faces to see what they look like.

Bringing a SwiftBar or xbar plugin over

  1. Find the line your plugin prints for the menu bar title. If it’s a number, you’re most of the way there.
  2. Change the script to print only that number (or JSON like {"value": 42, "label": "Q"}). Drop the --- menu lines; Multimeter doesn’t use them.
  3. Add a Script meter, paste the command (it runs with zsh, Homebrew paths included) and set how often it runs. The refresh interval goes in Customize, not in the file name.
  4. Keep it under 10 seconds: Multimeter stops a command after that, and never starts a new run while the last one is still going.
  5. Plugins that need dropdown menus and actions should stay in SwiftBar. The two apps don’t interfere.

More detail in switching to Multimeter from another menu bar monitor.

Questions

Can Multimeter run my existing xbar or SwiftBar plugins?

Not as plugins. Multimeter takes the first number a command prints (or a value from JSON), so a plugin whose output is a number works as a Script meter. Menus, colors and actions in the plugin format are ignored.

Is there a way to update a meter without polling?

Yes. Open a link like multimeter://set?key=deploys&value=42 from anywhere (Terminal, a git hook, Shortcuts) and the Sent Value meter with that key updates the moment the link opens.

Do scripts work in every version of Multimeter?

They work in the version sold on multimeterapp.com, which is the one on sale today. The Mac App Store sandbox doesn’t allow running your scripts or reading the fans, so a Mac App Store version would leave those two out; links, web addresses and files work everywhere.

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 25, 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.

Other comparisons

Put it in your menu bar

$19.99 one-time. No subscription. 30-day refund. Needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.

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