Kitsmith / Compare / AlDente vs coconutBattery
MacAlDente vs coconutBattery
AlDente vs coconutBattery: verdict, pricing, and specs compared, so you can pick the right one for your Mac.
At a glance
AlDente
Free (Pro: $13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp)A free MacBook battery charge-limiter — cap charging between custom bounds — with a Pro upgrade ($13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp) adding automatic scheduling and heat protection.
coconutBattery
Free (Plus: $12.95 current-version or $17.95 lifetime, one-time)A free battery-health reader for Mac, iPhone, and iPad — running since 2005 — with an optional one-time Plus upgrade for lifetime analytics and low-battery alerts.
Spec comparison
AlDente
- Price
- Free (Pro: $13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp)
- Pricing model
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Menu bar
- Channels
- Direct · Setapp
- Category
- Utilities
coconutBattery
- Price
- Free (Plus: $12.95 current-version or $17.95 lifetime, one-time)
- Pricing model
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Menu bar
- Channels
- Homebrew · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
The verdict
AlDente and coconutBattery solve two different halves of the same MacBook-battery worry, which is exactly why they turn up together in the same threads. AlDente actively limits charging (commonly capped at 80%) to slow long-term wear, free for the core Charge Limiter with a paid Pro tier ($13.99/yr, $24.99 lifetime, or via Setapp) for scheduling and extras. coconutBattery does the opposite job — it only reads and reports battery health, for your Mac and any connected iPhone or iPad, going back to 2005, with an optional one-time Plus upgrade ($12.95–$17.95) for deeper history. Get AlDente if you want to actively change how your Mac charges; get coconutBattery if you just want to see the numbers — plenty of people run both.
Which one should you pick?
Pick AlDente if…
- Pick AlDente if you want to actively cap charging (commonly at 80%) to slow battery wear, not just monitor it
- Pick AlDente if automatic discharge scheduling, Heat Protection, or MagSafe LED control (Pro) appeal to you
- Pick AlDente if you already have Setapp and want it bundled with 240+ other apps
- Pick AlDente if you want a developer that’s candid about macOS’s own native charge limiter overlapping with their product
Pick coconutBattery if…
- Pick coconutBattery if you just want to read battery health, not change charging behavior
- Pick coconutBattery if you want history going back to 2005 from a tool with a two-decade track record
- Pick coconutBattery if you also want to check the battery health of a connected iPhone or iPad
- Pick coconutBattery if a one-time $12.95–$17.95 upgrade beats a subscription for AlDente Pro
AlDente vs coconutBattery — questions people ask
Do AlDente and coconutBattery do the same thing?
No — AlDente actively limits charging to slow wear; coconutBattery only reads and reports battery health. Many users run both together.
Is AlDente free?
The core Charge Limiter is free; Pro costs $13.99/year, $24.99 lifetime, or comes bundled via a Setapp subscription.
Is coconutBattery free?
The core diagnostic view is free; a one-time Plus upgrade ($12.95 current-version or $17.95 lifetime) adds deeper history and low-battery alerts.