Comparison
BatFi alternative: Chargeberry vs BatFi
BatFi is a $15 charge limiter with rules by time and place. Chargeberry costs $5.99 and adds Full by planning, drain down, calibration and health.
Chargeberry vs BatFi at a glance
| Feature |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 once | $15 once |
| Macs per license | Up to 3 | Every Mac you own |
| Charge limit | 50–100% | 50–100% |
| On macOS 27 | 80–100% (macOS’s own limit) | Any limit, below 80% too (BatFi 4) |
| Rules by time | Full by schedules (days and a time) | Yes |
| Rules by place | No | Yes |
| Pause charging when hot | 35–45 °C, your choice | Above 40 °C (not after macOS 27) |
| Charge to 100% now | Yes | Yes |
| Full by a set time, planned from your charger | Yes | No |
| Drain down with the charger plugged in | By hand or automatically | Not on its page |
| Battery calibration | Full cycle, monthly reminder | Steps aside for macOS’s own |
| Apps using the most energy | No | Yes |
| Daily health history, Battery Wrapped | Yes | Live readings; history not on its page |
| Global shortcuts | Limit, top up, drain, menu | Power modes |
| macOS | macOS 14 Sonoma or later | macOS 14.8 Sonoma or later |
| Source code | Closed | On GitHub (MIT) |
BatFi facts are from its page on micropixels.software and its GitHub repository, checked November 6, 2026. “Not on its page” means we didn’t find it listed there.
What BatFi is
BatFi, by Adam Różyński (micropixels), is a well-made menu bar charge limiter for Apple silicon Macs on macOS 14.8 or later. It holds any limit from 50 to 100%, and its standout is rules: the limit can change by time of day and by where you are, so the Mac can sit at 60% at your desk, top up before you leave and charge fully at the weekend without you touching anything.
It also puts what macOS keeps buried into the menu bar: watts in and out, the apps using the most power right now, cycles, temperature and health, and power modes on a global shortcut. It costs $15, once, and one licence covers every Mac you own. Its source is on GitHub under the MIT license, and it installs with Homebrew too.
Where BatFi is better
- Rules by place. Change the limit when you get to the office or home. Chargeberry has nothing location-based.
- Below 80% on macOS 27. BatFi 4 holds lower limits there; Chargeberry follows macOS’s 80–100%.
- Which apps use power. BatFi’s menu lists the apps drawing the most energy right now.
- Every Mac you own. One BatFi licence covers all of them; Chargeberry’s covers three.
- Open code. Its source is public on GitHub.
Where Chargeberry is better
- Less than half the price. $5.99 against $15.
- Full by a time, planned from your charger. Set “full by 8:30 on weekdays” and Chargeberry holds your limit overnight, then starts charging as late as is safe, using how fast your Mac really charged before. Charging from 0 to 79% took about 1.2 minutes per percent, 80 to 89% about 2.5 minutes, and 90 to 99% about 3.0 minutes on the MacBook Air it was built on.
- Drain back down. After a day at 100%, Chargeberry runs the Mac on its battery with the charger still plugged in, down to your limit, then switches back. It can do it automatically while you work.
- Calibration you run. One click runs a full cycle to keep macOS’s percentage accurate, with a reminder once a month.
- Your heat limit. Pause charging at the temperature you choose, from 35 to 45 °C.
- Health over months. A daily record of the battery’s capacity, the trend, and a monthly Battery Wrapped card to share.
According to Chargeberry’s charge-rate record, charging from 0 to 79% took about 1.2 minutes per percent, 80 to 89% about 2.5 minutes, and 90 to 99% about 3.0 minutes, which is why it plans a Full by start time from your Mac’s own numbers instead of a fixed guess.
On macOS 27
- Health
- 83%
- Cycles
- 349 of 1000
- Temperature
- 30.8 °C
- Charger
- 30 W
A working model of Chargeberry, not a video, running the same charging rules as the app. Plug the charger in and out, change the limit, turn up the heat, try Charge to 100% and Full by. Time runs fast here: two minutes every second, and faster with S.
Which should you pick?
Both are one-time purchases for Apple silicon, both are honest about what they do, and you won’t go wrong with either. Pick by the feature you’d use every day.
If your limit should change with where you are, or you’re on macOS 27 and want less than 80%, BatFi is the better tool. If you want the Mac full exactly when you leave, back down to the limit after a long top-up, a calibration now and then and a record of the battery’s health, Chargeberry does more of that, for $5.99.
Questions about Chargeberry and BatFi
Is Chargeberry cheaper than BatFi?
Yes. Chargeberry is $5.99 once for up to 3 Macs. BatFi is $15 once, and its licence covers every Mac you own, so with four or more Macs BatFi works out cheaper per Mac.
Can BatFi change the limit by location?
Yes. BatFi’s rules can change the limit by time and by place, for example 60% at your desk and full at the weekend. Chargeberry has presets and Full by schedules by time, but nothing based on where you are.
Which holds a limit below 80% on macOS 27, BatFi or Chargeberry?
BatFi. Its site says BatFi 4 holds any limit, below 80% too, on macOS 27. Chargeberry uses macOS’s own charge limit there, which goes from 80 to 100%. On macOS 26 and earlier Chargeberry holds anything from 50 to 100%.
Does BatFi pause charging when the battery is hot?
Yes, above 40 °C, but BatFi says this works only on Macs that have never had macOS 27 installed. Chargeberry pauses at the temperature you choose, 35 to 45 °C, on macOS 14 through 26.
Is BatFi open source?
Its source code is on GitHub under the MIT license, and the app is sold from micropixels.software for $15. Chargeberry is not open source.
Which has the better battery readings?
Both show more than macOS does. BatFi lists the apps using the most energy and shows watts in and out, cycles, temperature and health. Chargeberry draws a live power diagram, keeps a daily health history with a trend, and makes a monthly Battery Wrapped card.
