Question 1

Why is my Mac battery draining so fast?

Accepted Answer

Background apps, browser tabs, and GPU-heavy processes like video calls or creative tools often drain your battery without you noticing. Activity Monitor shows an unhelpful "Energy Impact" number with no units. PowerVigil shows real watts per app so you can identify the actual culprit.

Question 2

What app is draining my Mac battery?

Accepted Answer

PowerVigil ranks every running app by real energy consumption measured in watts via Apple's IOReport framework. It also learns each app's normal baseline and alerts you when something spikes to 3x its usual power draw.

Question 3

Is PowerVigil an iStat Menus alternative?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PowerVigil offers features iStat Menus doesn't have: actionable battery tips, anomaly detection, real watts measurement, and usage intelligence with health prediction. It's also lighter (776 KB vs 30+ MB) and costs less.

Question 4

Does it work on Intel Macs?

Accepted Answer

PowerVigil is built for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4). Core features like real watts measurement depend on IOReport APIs only available on Apple Silicon. Intel Macs are not officially supported.

Question 5

Is it a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No. PowerVigil Pro is a one-time purchase with all future updates included. The Founding Edition at €5.99 is limited to the first 500 licenses, after which the price goes to €9.99. There is no subscription, ever.

Resources

Comparisons

PowerVigil vs Activity Monitor: Why Energy Impact Is Misleading

PowerVigil vs AlDente: Monitoring vs Charge Limiting

PowerVigil vs coconutBattery: Real-Time Power vs Battery Health

PowerVigil vs iStat Menus: Which Mac Monitor Is Better?

PowerVigil vs Stats: Battery Intelligence vs System Overview

Guides

Apple Silicon Power Management: How M-Series Chips Handle Energy

How to Check Battery Cycle Count on Mac (And What It Means)

How to Check and Maintain Your Mac Battery Health

MacBook Thermal Throttling: What It Is and How to Prevent It

How to Reduce Your Mac Power Consumption

Tips

Which Apps Are Draining Your Mac Battery the Most?

How to Extend Your MacBook Battery Lifespan by Years

Mac Battery Calibration: Myth or Necessity?

Mac Energy Saver Settings: The Best Configuration for Battery Life

10 Proven Tips to Optimize Your MacBook Battery Life