# Bondi for Mac

> Bondi is a native macOS system monitor with on-device AI. It tells you why your Mac is slow, in one plain sentence.

Web page: https://trybondi.app/

Your Mac has been trying to tell you something. A dev server called Vite is sitting idle in a project called shop. It has been idle for 3h 20m and holds 612.0 MB. Your data never leaves your Mac. Alpha now. Full launch is Tuesday 2 February 2027.

The page includes an interactive demo of Bondi's window. That demo runs on made-up numbers. On a Mac, Bondi reads the real ones, and they never leave it.

## How it works

On Macs with Apple Intelligence, Bondi writes with Apple's own on-device model: the one built into macOS, running on the Mac's Apple silicon. It never goes to the cloud, and it never gets to make up a number.

1. Bondi measures. Every figure is worked out in code from the Mac's own readings.
2. Bondi picks the point. A problem, the disk, the battery, something idle, or all calm: Bondi decides what matters.
3. Apple's model writes. The on-device model adds the plain English, on the Mac. The figures stay Bondi's.
4. Bondi checks it. Wrong tone, wrong subject or any number: Bondi uses its own sentence instead.

0 bytes of the person's data leave the Mac. The model runs on it, offline. The AI writes 0 numbers. The AI is included. Macs without Apple Intelligence can download a small free model from Settings.

## Features

- **Why is my Mac slow?** One sentence that names the cause, written on the Mac by an on-device AI, with every figure checked. Example the page shows, from a real Mac: "Everything is fine. Google Chrome is using the most memory, 13.09 GB across 82 processes."
- **Apps, not processes:** about 1,000 processes grouped into the apps you know, by CPU, memory or energy. One real reading of the same Mac: 966 rows in Activity Monitor, 39 apps in Bondi.
- **30 days of history,** kept on the Mac, that you can ask questions about in plain English.
- **Warnings with one fix:** when memory runs short, the cause and one fix. Bondi always asks before it quits anything.
- **For developers:** Claude Code and Cursor start dev servers and forget them. Bondi finds the ones still holding memory. Vite, in a project called shop, has been idle for 3h 20m and holds 612.0 MB. Docker containers and local AI models are here too. Kubernetes is next.
- **Process guide:** plain notes on 125 macOS processes, with what each is using right now. [Bondi's Mac guide](https://trybondi.app/guide/)
- **Menu bar:** always there, using about 0.3% of one CPU core.
- **Sound:** a separate volume for every app, up to 300%. Above 100% can distort and may be too loud for speakers or ears.
- **Fan boost:** cooler on demand, never slower than the fans already were, full speed whenever macOS reports the Mac running hot, and back to Auto on quit, sleep or crash.
- **Private:** no account and no analytics. Your data never leaves the Mac.
- **Icon:** Automatic, Light, Dark or Bondi Blue.

## Keyboard shortcuts

Press ⌘ and a number to jump straight to a tab, or ⌘+ and ⌘− to step through them. They work in Bondi's window and in the menu bar.

| Shortcut | Tab |
| --- | --- |
| ⌘1 | Overview |
| ⌘2 | CPU |
| ⌘3 | Memory |
| ⌘4 | Disk |
| ⌘5 | Network |
| ⌘6 | GPU |
| ⌘7 | Neural Engine |
| ⌘8 | Battery |
| ⌘9 | Sound |
| ⌘0 | Stack |
| ⌘+ / ⌘− | Next or previous tab |
| ⌘Q | Quit Bondi, from the menu bar |

⌘8 opens Battery on Macs that have one. Bluetooth has no number: step to it with ⌘+ or ⌘−.

## How Bondi compares

Activity Monitor, iStat Menus, Stats and Vitals are good at showing what the Mac is doing. Bondi says what it means, in a sentence.

| | Bondi | Activity Monitor | iStat Menus | Stats | Vitals |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tells you why your Mac is slow, in a plain sentence | Yes (on-device AI) | — | — | — | — |
| Explains what each macOS process is | Yes (125 processes) | — | — | — | — |
| Dev servers, grouped by project | Yes | — | — | — | Yes |
| Local AI models (LM Studio, Ollama) | Yes | — | — | — | — |
| Fan control | Yes (Fan boost) | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lives in the menu bar | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $24.99 once ($9.99 for the first 250) | Free, built into macOS | $11.99 once | Free, open source | $29 once |

Checked against each app's own website (apple.com, bjango.com, github.com/exelban/stats and vitalsmac.com) on October 4, 2026. "—" means it wasn't found there. [The full comparison](https://trybondi.app/compare/)

## Launch

Trust work is next, then the beta. [Join the beta](https://trybondi.app/beta/) to try it first. After launch, the rest of the list is on the [roadmap](https://trybondi.app/roadmap/).

- Alpha: now. The app, on real Macs.
- Beta: soon.
- Launch: 2 February 2027. Buy it, 14-day trial, no card.

The page has a sign-up for updates about the beta and the launch. Those emails are only about Bondi, and anyone can stop them. [Privacy policy](https://trybondi.app/privacy/)

## Pricing

At full launch: try everything free for 14 days, no credit card. Then one price, one Mac, no subscription.

- Launch price for the first 250: $9.99
- After that: $24.99
- Every feature, with updates
- On-device AI included
- One Mac; it can be moved
- Students: $9.99 at launch, then $12.99, from a .edu address
- Paddle handles payment, tax and the receipt

Bondi can't be bought yet. It is available at full launch.

## Mac acting up?

- [Why is my Mac so slow?](https://trybondi.app/blog/why-is-my-mac-slow/) MacBook or iMac, it's almost always one of four things: memory running short, one app working hard, macOS doing background work, or the Mac protecting itself from heat.
- [What is using memory on my Mac?](https://trybondi.app/blog/which-app-is-using-my-mac-memory/) Add up each app's helper processes. In one real reading, Chrome was 80 processes and 12.23 GB of RAM, more than all of macOS.
- [What does yellow memory pressure mean?](https://trybondi.app/blog/memory-pressure-explained/) macOS is compressing a lot of memory to fit everything in. Green is fine, even when Memory Used looks high; red means it's swapping to disk, and that's when a Mac slows down.
- [Why is my Mac so hot and loud?](https://trybondi.app/blog/mac-fans-loud/) The chip is making more heat than the Mac can lose quietly, so the fans speed up. Find what's working hard, give it air, and they settle within minutes.
- [Why is kernel_task using high CPU?](https://trybondi.app/blog/kernel-task-high-cpu/) The Mac is hot. macOS takes CPU time on purpose so apps slow down and the heat drops. It's a safety feature, not malware.
- [Why is WindowServer using high CPU?](https://trybondi.app/blog/windowserver-high-cpu/) It draws everything on the screens. Many windows, several or very high-resolution displays, screen recording or video push its CPU up.
- [Why is my Mac slow after an update?](https://trybondi.app/blog/mac-slow-after-update/) macOS is catching up: Spotlight, Photos and iCloud. It settles on its own, usually within hours, faster if the Mac stays plugged in and awake.
- [Is Spotlight indexing slowing my Mac?](https://trybondi.app/blog/spotlight-indexing-slow-mac/) If mds_stores or mdworker are near the top, Spotlight is indexing files. It settles on its own, usually within a few hours.

[All guides](https://trybondi.app/blog/)

## Questions

### Why is my Mac so slow?

Activity Monitor shows the numbers; Bondi names the cause in one sentence. MacBook or desktop Mac, it's almost always one of four things: memory running short, one app working hard, macOS doing background work (Spotlight, Photos and iCloud catch up after an update), or the Mac slowing itself down because it's hot. [How to tell which one it is](https://trybondi.app/blog/why-is-my-mac-slow/)

### When can I get Bondi?

Bondi is in alpha now. The beta is next, and full launch is Tuesday 2 February 2027, 8 am Pacific. You'll be able to buy a license at launch. [Join the beta](https://trybondi.app/beta/) to try it first, or sign up for updates on the homepage. See the [roadmap](https://trybondi.app/roadmap/).

### How much does Bondi cost?

At full launch, Tuesday 2 February 2027: a 14-day free trial with every feature, no credit card required, then a one-time purchase for one Mac, with no subscription. The first 250 licenses cost $9.99; after that, $24.99. We'll say so before the price rises. Students pay $9.99 at launch, then $12.99, by emailing support from a .edu address. Updates and the on-device AI are included.

### Which AI does Bondi use?

On Macs with Apple Intelligence (macOS 26, Apple silicon), Apple's on-device foundation model, built into macOS. Other Macs can download a small free open model (Qwen2.5 0.5B) from Bondi's Settings; nothing downloads unless you press Download. Either way it runs on your Mac.

### Does my data leave my Mac?

No. History stays in a file on your Mac, and the AI runs on your Mac. Bondi only contacts our server to check your trial or license, and to look for updates. See the [privacy policy](https://trybondi.app/privacy/).

### Does Bondi work offline?

Yes. Everything it measures, its history and its AI run on your Mac. It goes online only to check its trial or license and to look for updates.

### Which Macs does it run on?

Any Mac with macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro.

### Is Bondi an Activity Monitor alternative?

Yes. Bondi is an Activity Monitor alternative, and it works alongside Activity Monitor. Activity Monitor, built into macOS, lists every process: 966 rows on one real Mac. Bondi adds each helper to the app that started it (39 apps on that Mac), keeps 30 days of history, and tells you in one sentence what's slowing the Mac down. More in [Bondi vs Activity Monitor](https://trybondi.app/blog/bondi-vs-activity-monitor/).

### Is there a task manager for Mac?

Yes: Activity Monitor, built into every Mac, is the equivalent of Task Manager on Windows. Open it with Command-Space, type "Activity Monitor" and press Return; to close a stuck app, press Option-Command-Esc for Force Quit. Bondi is a task manager that explains: it groups processes into the apps you know, tells you in one sentence what's slowing the Mac down, and asks before it quits anything.

### Is Bondi an alternative to iStat Menus, Stats or Vitals?

Yes. All four live in the menu bar and can control your fans. Going by each app's own website, Bondi is the only one that tells you in a plain sentence why your Mac is slow, written on your Mac by an on-device AI, and the only one that explains 125 macOS processes by name. It also shows local AI models (LM Studio, Ollama) beside your dev servers and Docker containers. See [the full comparison](https://trybondi.app/compare/).

### What's the best system monitor for Mac?

It depends on what you need. For seeing every reading in the menu bar, iStat Menus ($11.99) or Stats (free and open source). For understanding them, Bondi: it groups processes into apps, keeps 30 days of history and tells you in one sentence what's slowing your Mac down. See [Bondi vs Activity Monitor, iStat Menus, Stats and Vitals](https://trybondi.app/compare/).

### Does Bondi help developers?

Yes. It groups dev servers by project and port, and shows Docker containers and local AI models (LM Studio, Ollama) with the memory each holds. Stop or unload any of them; Bondi asks first.

### Will it slow my Mac down?

No. With its windows closed, Bondi uses about 0.3% of one CPU core, and the AI only works while you're looking.

### Can Bondi quit apps on its own?

Never. It suggests one fix at a time and asks before it quits, stops or unloads anything.

### What happens after the trial?

The menu bar keeps showing your CPU for free. Everything else waits for a license.

### Can I get a refund?

Yes. See the [refund policy](https://trybondi.app/refunds/); Paddle, who handles the payment, issues it.

## Related

- [Join the beta](https://trybondi.app/beta/)
- [Roadmap](https://trybondi.app/roadmap/)
- [Comparison](https://trybondi.app/compare/)
- [Can my Mac run it?](https://trybondi.app/can-my-mac-run-it/)
- [Blog](https://trybondi.app/blog/)
- [Mac guide](https://trybondi.app/guide/)
- [Privacy policy](https://trybondi.app/privacy/)
- [The full facts](https://trybondi.app/llms-full.txt)