MacThrottle monitors thermal pressure in the macOS menu bar and alerts users to thermal throttling.
The Best Hot Alternatives in 2026
Looking for something like Hot? Here are 24 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 2 are free or have a free plan and 24 are open source.
Hot displays the CPU speed limit caused by thermal issues in the macOS menu bar.
Top picks at a glance
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MacThrottle | — | Yes | macOS |
| 2 | AirBattery | — | Yes | iOS, macOS |
| 3 | USBMap | — | Yes | macOS |
| 4 | DisplayPlacer | — | Yes | macOS |
| 5 | eul | — | Yes | macOS |
| 6 | KeepingYouAwake | — | Yes | macOS |
| 7 | Stats | — | Yes | macOS |
| 8 | KeyCastr | Free | Yes | macOS |
| 9 | Xbar | — | Yes | macOS |
| 10 | Yabai | — | Yes | macOS, Windows |
All Hot alternatives
AirBattery displays battery levels for connected devices in the Mac Dock, menu bar, or widgets.
USBMap maps USB ports on macOS and creates a custom injector kext, addressing port limits described by the project.
DisplayPlacer configures macOS display resolutions and arrangements from the command line.
eul monitors macOS system status from the menu bar, with dark mode, widgets, and Bluetooth battery level listed.
KeepingYouAwake prevents a Mac from sleeping through a menu bar utility.
Stats monitors macOS system activity from the menu bar, with installation instructions provided in its repository.
KeyCastr displays keystrokes on screen so users can share their keyboard input during demonstrations.
xbar places output from shell scripts and other programs in the macOS menu bar for at-a-glance access.
yabai tiles and manages windows on macOS using binary space partitioning.
Nuage provides a native SoundCloud client for macOS built with SwiftUI.
VirtualBuddy runs macOS 12 and later in virtual machines on Apple Silicon Macs.
NearDrop provides a partial macOS implementation of Google's Nearby Share and Quick Share.
Osaurus provides a native macOS environment for AI agents with different models and persistent memory, according to its repository.
Yattee plays video on iOS, tvOS, and macOS, with its project describing a privacy-oriented design.
Amethyst automatically tiles windows on macOS, following a layout approach similar to xmonad.
OpenMTP transfers files between Android devices and a Mac using a dedicated macOS file transfer application.
FineTune controls per-app volume on macOS and supports audio routing, multiple output devices, and a 10-band equalizer.
Browserino selects a browser on macOS and supports default-browser setup and keyboard shortcuts.
ClipPocket keeps a copy history on macOS and detects clipboard content types, according to its project description.
Background Music adjusts per-app volume on macOS and can pause music automatically.
AeroSpace tiles windows on macOS using a window-manager approach modeled after i3.
gibMacOS downloads macOS components directly from Apple and can build Internet Recovery USB installers from Windows.
maclaunch lists and controls startup items and their policies on macOS.
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