Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

iStat Menus VS ForthWrite

Compare iStat Menus VS ForthWrite and see what are their differences

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iStat Menus logo iStat Menus

"An advanced Mac system monitor for your menubar."

ForthWrite logo ForthWrite

Email that sounds like you, and gets measurably more like you every week. Drafts in Gmail, Outlook, and the browser. Free to start.
Visit Website
  • iStat Menus Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-16
  • ForthWrite Landing Page
    Landing Page //
    2026-06-19
  • ForthWrite Dashboard
    Dashboard //
    2026-06-19
  • ForthWrite In Gmail
    In Gmail //
    2026-06-19
  • ForthWrite Pricing
    Pricing //
    2026-06-19

ForthWrite is an AI email writing assistant for Gmail and Outlook that learns your writing style from your real sent mail. The more you use it, the more it sounds like you. Get smart drafts in seconds, auto-draft replies before you open your inbox, and maintain your personal voice at scale. Free to start, no credit card required. Works inside Gmail and Outlook on the web.

How it works

ForthWrite captures your tone, sentence rhythm, and sign-offs from your actual sent emails, then uses that profile to generate drafts that match how you write, not a generic AI voice. Every draft you edit or send improves the model over time.

Key features

  • Auto-draft: replies waiting in Gmail before you open your inbox
  • Voice matching from your real sent mail, not templates
  • Recipient-aware drafts that adapt to who you are emailing
  • Prompt Lab for version-controlling and A/B testing your persona prompt
  • BYOK support: bring your own API key for Claude, OpenAI, Grok, Mistral, and more
  • Works in Gmail and Outlook on the web, plus a standalone browser widget
  • Training data export and full data portability

Who uses it

Professionals who send high volumes of relationship-critical email: lawyers, financial advisors, recruiters, account executives, founders, and anyone who wants their inbox handled without sounding like a chatbot wrote it.

Pricing

Free tier includes 10 drafts per week with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $12/month and include unlimited drafts, custom persona prompts, and auto-draft.

iStat Menus

Website
bjango.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

ForthWrite

$ Details
freemium $12.0 / Monthly (Standard plan)
Platforms
Web
Release Date
2026 June
Startup details
Country
United States
State
California
City
San Diego
Founder(s)
Curtis Boortz
Employees
1 - 9

iStat Menus features and specs

  • Comprehensive System Monitoring
    iStat Menus offers detailed monitoring of numerous system metrics, including CPU, GPU, memory, network, disk usage, and sensors. This allows for thorough understanding and management of system performance.
  • Customizable Menubar Icons
    Users can customize the icons and data displayed in the menu bar, tailoring the tool to show only the metrics that are important to them.
  • Historical Data
    The app stores historical data over time, enabling users to track performance trends and identify issues that may develop gradually.
  • Alerts and Notifications
    Users can set up custom alerts for various metrics, such as CPU temperature or network status, providing proactive notifications for potential problems.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible even for users who may not be highly technical.

Possible disadvantages of iStat Menus

  • Cost
    iStat Menus is a paid application, which could be a con for users looking for a free alternative. The cost might not justify the features for casual users.
  • Resource Usage
    Although it is designed to monitor system performance, iStat Menus itself consumes system resources, which could be a downside, especially for users with older or less powerful machines.
  • Complexity
    While it offers a lot of data, the wealth of information can be overwhelming for users who are not familiar with technical details or system monitoring.
  • Limited Technical Support
    Technical support and comprehensive documentation can be somewhat limited, potentially posing a challenge for users who encounter problems or have intricate questions.
  • Potential Privacy Concerns
    As with any system monitoring tool, there could be concerns about the privacy and security of the data being monitored and collected, particularly for sensitive user information.

ForthWrite features and specs

  • Voice Matching
    Learns from your real sent mail, not templates
  • Auto-draft replies
    Replies waiting in Gmail before you open your inbox
  • Batch-drafting
    Draft replies for your entire inbox with one click
  • Works in browser
    Gmail, Outlook, and web browsers
  • BYOK support
    Claude, OpenAI, Grok, Mistral, and more
  • Prompt Lab
    Version control and A/B test your persona prompt
  • Free tier
    10 drafts per week, no credit card required

Analysis of iStat Menus

Overall verdict

  • Yes, iStat Menus is generally considered to be a good application.

Why this product is good

  • iStat Menus is highly regarded because it provides detailed insights into the performance of Mac systems, offering real-time and customizable monitoring of various system metrics such as CPU and GPU usage, temperature sensors, fan speeds, memory, network activity, and more. Its user-friendly interface and range of features make it a valuable tool for users who need or want detailed system information.

Recommended for

  • Tech enthusiasts who want in-depth data about their Mac's performance.
  • IT professionals and system administrators who need to monitor system performance closely.
  • Developers who want to optimize their development environment.
  • Gamers who need to keep an eye on system resources and temperatures.
  • Mac users experiencing performance issues and looking to diagnose potential causes.

iStat Menus videos

iStat Menus 6 Review: Best Mac Power User App

More videos:

  • Review - iStat Menus 6 for Mac Review
  • Tutorial - iStat Menus 6 - Best macOS System Monitor - Tutorial

ForthWrite videos

No ForthWrite videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iStat Menus and ForthWrite)
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Writing Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Log Management
100 100%
0% 0
Email
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing iStat Menus and ForthWrite.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

ForthWrite's answer:

Next.js, React, Supabase, Anthropic Claude, OpenAI, Stripe, Vercel, Chrome Extensions API

What makes your product unique?

ForthWrite's answer:

ForthWrite learns your writing style from your actual sent mail, not a generic prompt. Every draft sounds like you wrote it because it was trained on how you actually write. It also auto-drafts replies before you open your inbox, so your email is partially handled before your day starts.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

ForthWrite's answer:

Most AI email tools give you a blank box and a "write for me" button. ForthWrite builds a voice profile from your sent history and gets more accurate with every draft you edit or send. Unlike ChatGPT or Gemini, it works natively inside Gmail and Outlook with no copy-paste. Unlike Lavender, it writes the draft, not just scores it.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

ForthWrite's answer:

Professionals who send high volumes of relationship-critical email and cannot afford to sound generic: lawyers, financial advisors, recruiters, account executives, consultants, and founders managing their own inbox.

What's the story behind your product?

ForthWrite's answer:

Built out of frustration with AI writing tools that produce text that sounds nothing like the person sending it, and as a way to handle large amounts of daily email. The core insight was that your sent mail is the best training data you already have, and no tool was using it.

User comments

Share your experience with using iStat Menus and ForthWrite. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare iStat Menus and ForthWrite

iStat Menus Reviews

8 Best SpeedFan Alternatives for Computers for Windows and Mac
You know most of the macOS tools are paid. So is this one. However, iStat Menus has a trial period of 14 days. And we believe two weeks are more than enough to judge the quality of a piece of software. What we liked the most about this is its comprehensive way of presenting details.
Source: xtendedview.com
Top 8 BEST NZXT CAM ALTERNATIVES
Itโ€™s another worthy contender to Nzxt CAM for obtaining precise computer performance statistics. CPU, GPU, RAM, HDD, and other performance metrics are available from the iStat Menus. The program can also be used to overclock the GPU.
Source: gisuser.com

ForthWrite Reviews

  1. curtisboortz
    ยท Founder at ForthWrite ยท
    I built ForthWrite to fix generic AI email, and I still use it every day

    I built ForthWrite because I kept sending emails that sounded like they came from the same generic AI as everyone else. After launching it, I still use it for my own inbox every day, which is about the most honest endorsement I can give.

    The Chrome extension lives inside Gmail and Outlook on the web. Open a thread, hit Alt+Shift+D, and a draft comes back in your voice, not a template. The free tier is real: 10 drafts per week, no API key, no credit card. Voice matching is included on free, because that is the point.

    What keeps it useful compared to Gemini or a chat tab: it learns from what you actually send. Every edit you make before hitting send becomes a signal. Over time the drafts drift closer to how you really write, and the dashboard shows the improvement curve so you can see it happening.

    The web compose surface lets you draft from forthwrite.ai without installing anything, useful for people who want to try before committing to the extension.

    Standard adds recipient-aware and intent-aware drafting plus AI coaching. Pro adds auto-draft (replies waiting when you open Gmail), batch replies, and Prompt Lab for version-controlling your prompts. Teams adds a shared persona and seat-level analytics.

    ForthWrite is not for everyone. If you just need quick replies and tone does not matter, Gemini is free and already in your inbox. ForthWrite is for people where tone does matter: client communication, relationship-driven threads, external correspondence where sounding off costs something real.

    Disclosure: I am the founder and use it daily. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: Jace.ai, Fyxer, Mailmeteor
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Drafts land inside gmail and outlook; no copy-pasting from a chat window|Voice matching is on the free tier, not paywalled behind paid plans|No api key, no credit card to start; free tier runs on a server-side proxy|Learns from every edit you make before sending; drafts improve over time|Full keyboard flow: alt+shift+d to draft in any thread, no mouse required|Byok on paid plans, 9 providers supported, keys encrypted at rest|Web compose at forthwrite.ai works without installing the extension at all
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    10 free drafts/week is enough to evaluate, not enough for a heavy inbox|Auto-draft, batch replies, and prompt lab all require the pro tier|Early-stage product; fewer third-party integrations than mature inbox tools|No mobile app: the extension and add-in are desktop-only (chrome on web, or the outlook desktop add-in)

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iStat Menus seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 54 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

iStat Menus mentions (54)

  • Stats โ€“ macOS system monitor in your menu bar
    I've been for many years a happily paying customer of iStat Menus [1], from which this seem to be the heavily inspired of. [1] https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • A collection of useful Mac Apps
    iStat Menus - Price: $14.99 (one-time purchase) Advanced system monitor for macOS that displays real-time CPU, GPU, and network usage. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • HELP PLEASE: MAC AIR ULTRA SLOW CPU
    iStat Menus has been around a long time and is very reliable. I've used this for many, many years on numerous different Mac models, and it's top-notch. It displays all sorts of system statistics in the menu bar and lets you define custom fan controls for different component (CPU, etc) temperatures, all in a nice, sleek interface. Source: about 3 years ago
  • After dreaming of Al Gore's setup for 15 years, finally I got this:
    Don't do this on my behalf but if you're ever curious yourself, on some other date, you can use iStat Menu among other utilities or readers to check GPU utilization, thats a lot easier to read than Activity Monitor. If using iStat, go to iStat Menus, click on the CPU/GPU dropdown, then the GPU in the active items bar, and select processor. You'll see a graph and you can just let that sit for a few minutes and... Source: about 3 years ago
  • ACC + Steam working great with apple's game porter
    Fantastic! I read that it is an M1, but what model and configuration exactly is it? If you like and are curious, install this app https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/, it tells you everything, temperature, fan RPM, etc. Source: about 3 years ago
View more

ForthWrite mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ForthWrite yet. Tracking of ForthWrite recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing iStat Menus and ForthWrite, you can also consider the following products

Stats - Simple macOS system monitor in your menu bar.

Superhuman - Superhuman is an email management tool.

Open Hardware Monitor - Monitors temperature sensors, fan speeds, voltages, load and clock speeds, with optional graph.

Gemini - Gemini, formerly known as Bard, is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Google. Based on the large language model (LLM) of the same name, it was launched in 2023 in response to the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT.

SpeedFan - Hardware monitor for Windows that can access digital temperature sensors located on several 2-wire SMBus Serial Bus. Can access voltages and fan speeds and control fan speeds. Includes technical articles and docs.

Lavender - Realtime coaching for sales emails.