Open-Source Observability · context-labs

mactop

mactop is a terminal-based system monitoring tool for Apple Silicon Macs that displays real-time CPU, GPU, and memory usage in a top-like interface. Written in Go, it provides quick hardware insights without leaving the terminal and is actively maintained with recent releases.

Talk to DEV.co Discuss Implementation

Source: GitHub — github.com/context-labs/mactop

2.3k

GitHub stars

Forks

Primary language

MIT

License (OSI-approved)

Key facts

Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.

Field	Value
Repository	context-labs/mactop
Owner	context-labs
Primary language	Go
License	MIT — OSI-approved
Stars	2.3k
Forks	53
Open issues	0
Latest release	v0.2.7 (2025-12-09)
Last updated	2025-12-21
Source	https://github.com/context-labs/mactop

What mactop is

A Go-based terminal UI application that monitors Apple Silicon (ARM64) CPU and GPU metrics on macOS, presenting data in an interactive terminal interface similar to Unix 'top'. The project uses termui for rendering and integrates with macOS system calls to gather hardware telemetry.

Quickstart

Get the mactop source

Clone the repository and explore it locally.

terminalbash

1git clone https://github.com/context-labs/mactop.git2cd mactop3# follow the project's README for install & configuration

Need it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.

Best use cases

Development workstation monitoring

Monitor resource usage during builds, tests, and development workflows on Apple Silicon Macs without switching away from the terminal.

Performance debugging and optimization

Identify CPU and GPU bottlenecks during local development or testing of compute-intensive applications on M-series chips.

Quick system health checks

Get instant visibility into system load, temperature, and resource distribution without opening System Activity Monitor or other GUI tools.

Implementation considerations

Ensure Go 1.16+ is available for building from source; prebuilt binaries may be available via GitHub releases.
Requires macOS 11+ (or similar recent version) with proper permissions to read hardware metrics; some metrics may require elevated privileges.
Terminal emulator must support termui rendering (most modern terminals work; verify color and Unicode support if using older emulators).
Note: README indicates v2 has migrated to https://github.com/metaspartan/mactop; verify which fork is actively maintained before deploying.
CPU and GPU data accuracy depends on macOS system APIs; behavior may vary across M1, M2, M3, and newer chip generations.

When to avoid it — and what to weigh

Remote or headless macOS monitoring — mactop is a terminal UI tool; it requires local console access and is not designed for remote or centralized monitoring infrastructure.
Enterprise-grade monitoring requirements — This is a lightweight developer tool, not a replacement for Prometheus, Datadog, New Relic, or other production monitoring systems.
Intel Mac users — mactop is optimized for Apple Silicon (ARM64) and may not provide the same level of GPU monitoring on Intel Macs.
Historical data and alerting — mactop shows real-time metrics only; it does not persist time-series data or support alerts.

License & commercial use

MIT License (permissive open-source). Allows use, modification, and distribution in commercial and private projects with attribution.

MIT license permits commercial use. However, verify the active repository (context-labs or metaspartan fork) before shipping in a commercial product, and ensure any bundled or modified version maintains attribution and license visibility.

DEV.co evaluation signals

Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.

Signal	Assessment
Maintenance	Active
Documentation	Limited
License clarity	Clear
Deployment complexity	Low
DEV.co fit	Possible
Assessment confidence	High

Security considerations

mactop reads system metrics via macOS APIs and runs with user privileges. No network access or external calls evident. Security posture depends on macOS system call security and Go standard library integrity. Recommend: verify the source repository before install, use official releases, and audit if bundling in commercial products.

Alternatives to consider

asitop

Similar Apple Silicon monitoring tool; compare feature set and maintenance status before choosing.

Activity Monitor (native macOS)

Official GUI tool with full feature set; simpler for non-technical users but requires graphical environment.

top / htop (standard Unix tools)

Cross-platform, battle-tested; lacks Apple Silicon GPU optimization but works on all Macs and Unix-like systems.

Software development agency

Build on mactop with DEV.co software developers

Install mactop from GitHub and get instant system insights in your terminal. Ideal for developers optimizing performance on M-series chips.

Talk to DEV.co

Related open-source tools

Surfaced by semantic similarity across the DEV.co open-source index.

mactop macmon gtop

Related on DEV.co

Explore the category and the services that help you build with it.

Open-Source Observability AI Development DevOps Talk to DEV.co

mactop FAQ

Is mactop free for commercial use?

Yes, MIT license permits commercial use, but you must include attribution. Verify the active repository (context-labs or metaspartan) before shipping.

Will mactop work on Intel Macs?

Partially. It may run but is optimized for Apple Silicon (ARM64); GPU monitoring and chip-specific metrics will not work as intended on Intel.

Can I integrate mactop into my CI/CD pipeline?

It's designed as an interactive terminal tool, not a headless exporter. Scripting snapshots is possible but requires shell parsing; consider asitop or system APIs for structured export.

Why does the README mention a move to metaspartan/mactop?

The project migrated repositories. Confirm the canonical URL before cloning or contributing to avoid broken forks.

Work with a software development agency

From first prototype to production, DEV.co delivers software development services around tools like mactop. Our software development agency staffs experienced software developers and web developers for custom software development, web development, integrations, and ongoing support across open-source observability and beyond.

Ready to monitor your Apple Silicon Mac?

Install mactop from GitHub and get instant system insights in your terminal. Ideal for developers optimizing performance on M-series chips.

Talk to DEV.co Schedule a Consultation