rNitro

How to install

Download the PKG, DMG, or App ZIP

Choose Stable (green, OpenAI + OpenRouter) or Beta (orange, all AI APIs). Agree to the Terms & Conditions, then pick a format:

PKG — double-click; installs to Applications (admin password).
DMG — open the disk image and drag rNitro.app to Applications.
Apps ZIP — one file with both Stable and Beta .app bundles.

⚠ macOS security prompt: When you open the PKG, macOS may say it can't verify the file. That's normal for indie apps. Don't click Move to Trash. Click Done, then go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and press Open at the bottom.

Or use the .sh installer (if you don't trust the PKG)

If you're unsure about a pre-built PKG, download the highlighted .sh file instead. It contains the full app source — read it first, then compile locally. Stable:

bash ~/Downloads/rNitro-v8.2.8-Final-arm64.sh

Beta: bash ~/Downloads/rNitro-v8.2.9-Beta-arm64.sh. Installs to ~/Applications/rNitro.app — takes ~30 seconds. Self-verifies its SHA-256 checksum before running.

First launch

If macOS blocks the app, right-click rNitro.app → Open once. No telemetry, no account — runs fully local.

Stable vs Beta — which should I download?

New here? Start with the green Recommended Download (App ZIP). Pick Stable for everyday use; Beta if you want every AI provider and experimental features.

	v8.2.8 Final	v8.2.9 Beta
Best for	Daily CPU monitoring	Power users + AI chat
AI chat	OpenAI + OpenRouter only	Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, LM Studio, Ollama, Hermes
System Advisor	Yes	Yes
Temp notification banners	No	Yes (optional)
AES-256 key storage	No	Yes (GCM + Keychain)
First-launch tips	No	Yes
Low Power Mode badge	Yes	Yes
Risk level	Production-ready	Experimental — Terms required
Recommended file	App ZIP (green card)	App ZIP (orange card)

Latest stable and beta highlights — see the full changelog below for older releases.

v8.2.9 Beta

iStats-style sidebar — panel picker, Solo Mode accordion, and per-panel visibility controls.
17pt responsive UI — fonts scale up when you resize the window.
Human-readable sensors — SMC keys and network interfaces (en0) shown as friendly names.
Per-network weather — IP-based weather row in Network (toggle in Settings).
App Cleaner — find apps sorted by last used; trash app plus leftover caches and preferences.
Settings renamed — Extras is now Settings.

v8.2.8 Final

App Cleaner — new Cleaner tab: uninstall apps and remove leftover Library files, sorted by last used.
Stable channel — production CPU monitor with OpenAI and OpenRouter chat.

v8.2.8 Beta

GitHub releases — Stable and Beta each ship App ZIP (with rNitro.app), PKG, and DMG on github.com/ilikemacos/rNitro/releases.
AES-256-GCM encryption — API keys and AI chat history encrypted at rest with CryptoKit (256-bit master key in Keychain). Plaintext data migrates automatically on first launch.
Patched major bugs — website download buttons and file-save flow fixed in v8.2.7.
First-launch tips sheet — quick welcome on first open (menubar icon, Gatekeeper, App ZIP install).
Low Power Mode badge — green LP pill when macOS Energy Mode is on.
All AI providers — Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, LM Studio, Ollama, and Hermes.

v8.2.6 Stable

Patched major bugs — website download buttons work again; App ZIP, PKG, DMG, and .sh downloads trigger reliably after Terms acceptance.
Stable channel — production-ready CPU monitor, benchmark, and stress test.
AI chat (trimmed) — OpenAI (GPT) and OpenRouter only.
System Advisor — client-side specs assistant with customizable warn/critical thresholds.

rNitro v8.2.8-Final-arm64

Stable macOS build — monitor, benchmark, and AI chat (OpenAI GPT + OpenRouter only).

macOS 12+ Apple Silicon Xcode CLT (.sh) Free

SHA-256 (.sh): 5202a90c06d6084c1022629db8b71ae65bf0365fe39985ae8485c2183ab6193f

Recommended Download

App ZIP

Unzip → drag rNitro.app to Applications → right-click Open once if macOS blocks it. No admin password needed.

Don't trust the PKG? The .sh compiles from readable source on your Mac.

rNitro v8.2.9-Beta-arm64

Beta macOS build — v8.2.8 features plus AI chat API (Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, LM Studio, Ollama, Hermes).

Beta notice: Experimental AI features — Terms & Conditions required before download.

Beta macOS 12+ Apple Silicon AI Chat API Free

SHA-256 (.sh): b5dc40cf60e1ca781cc74451984d907ba00e628243f0fc5e9accbf793d93dcc2

Recommended Download

App ZIP

Unzip → drag rNitro.app to Applications → right-click Open once if macOS blocks it. No admin password needed.

Skeptical of the PKG? Use the .sh — full-source compile, verified checksum.

Apps ZIP includes rNitro-Stable.app (v8.2.8-Final-arm64) and rNitro-Beta.app (v8.2.9-Beta-arm64). Full Release has the entire site + all builds.

Older builds for rollback or compatibility — use if a newer release misbehaves on your Mac.

Version	Channel	PKG	DMG	SHA-256 (.sh)
v8.2.7-Beta-arm64	Beta			f12519a1a24928eb…
v8.2.6-Beta-arm64	Beta			abbc05ac594dc285…
v8.2.5-Final-arm64	Stable			6b6e3b73ab0c86b8…
v8.2.5-Beta-arm64	Beta			558d5a2fe7849700…
v8.2.4-Final-arm64	Stable			ecbdf70e50022675…
v8.2.4-Beta-arm64	Beta			8f0010734cf189a4…
v8.2.3-Beta-arm64	Beta			2ba0e2a1d2647561…
v8.2.2-Final-arm64	Stable			56afbc20b3b98f98…
v8.2.1-Beta-arm64	Beta		—	62a40794ec7c7017…
v8.1.1-Beta-arm64	Beta			aac9f10b0523a03d…
v7.3.2-Final-arm64	Stable			104d38155e92a2f9…
v7.0.1a-Final-arm64	Stable			292950e466789e87…
v7.0.2-Beta-arm64	Beta	—		c8e0f2f9647fe2d5…
v7.0.1-Beta-arm64	Beta	—		66804ba8b2711525…

Changelog

v8.2.8-Beta-arm64

AES-256-GCM encryption — cloud API keys and per-provider AI chat history are encrypted at rest using CryptoKit AES-256-GCM. A device-bound 256-bit master key lives in Keychain (app.rnitro.crypto); key blobs use the RNENC1 envelope format. Existing plaintext keys and history migrate automatically on first read after upgrade.

Beta notice: Experimental features — report issues via Support.

v8.2.7-Beta-arm64

Patched major bugs — fixed broken download buttons on getrnitro.netlify.app (JavaScript parse error in the support-chat knowledge base broke all page scripts), unreliable ZIP/PKG/DMG downloads (now use proper file-save links instead of full-page navigation), and Terms modal confirm edge cases. Version bump + refreshed signed App ZIP downloads.

Beta notice: Experimental features — report issues via Support.

v8.2.6-Final-arm64

Patched major bugs — same website download fixes as v8.2.7 Beta. Stable channel: CPU monitor, benchmark, stress test, AI chat (OpenAI + OpenRouter), and System Advisor.

v4.2.2-Windows-Final-x86

Patched major bugs — version bump aligned with macOS v8.2.6/v8.2.7 website fixes. Windows tray monitor unchanged; download buttons on the site work again.

v8.2.6-Beta-arm64

First-launch tips sheet — welcome dialog on first open with menubar icon, Gatekeeper, and App ZIP install steps.

Low Power Mode badge — green LP pill in the popover when macOS Low Power / Energy Mode is on.

Varela Round UI font across the app (bundled in the .app). Optional critical temperature banners — macOS notifications when live CPU temp or thermal pressure crosses warn/critical limits you configure in System Advisor. Includes System Advisor, iStats-style popover, all AI providers, and signed App ZIP downloads on the website.

Beta notice: Experimental features — report issues via Support.

v8.2.5-Final-arm64

Stable release — CPU monitor, benchmark, stress test, and AI chat limited to OpenAI (GPT) and OpenRouter. System Advisor tab with client-side specs assistant and customizable temp/CPU/RAM/GPU/battery warnings. iStats-style sectioned menubar popover with Modern/Legacy UI toggle.

v8.2.4-Beta-arm64

System Advisor tab — client-side specs assistant that reads live hardware stats and warns when temps, CPU, RAM, GPU, or battery cross thresholds you set. No API key; fully on-device. All beta AI providers included.

Beta notice: Experimental features — report issues via Support.

v8.2.3-Beta-arm64

Refinements on the v8.2.2 popover and provider stack — stability and layout polish ahead of System Advisor.

v8.2.2-Final-arm64 / v8.2.2-Beta-arm64

iStats-style sectioned popover — cleaner menubar layout with single-line stat values (no stacked CPU/RAM labels). Modern/Legacy UI toggle in Extras/Tools for users who prefer the older compact layout.

v8.2.1-Beta-arm64

Full AI provider lineup — Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, LM Studio, Ollama, and Hermes. Menu bar light/dark icons, network monitor in popover, and uninstall-rNitro.sh companion script.

Beta notice: Experimental features — report issues via Support.

v8.1.1-Beta-arm64

Fully responsive UI — window and menubar popover reflow from narrow to wide; adaptive stat grids, flexible detail popups, and scrollable AI provider tabs. 14px default typography (12px in compact layouts). Fixed battery charging status; battery time remaining beside charge level; toggles to show/hide Stress Test and Benchmark.

AI Chat in menubar popover (Monitor + Chat tabs); per-provider saved history; connection status indicators (Connected / Needs API Key / Offline / Not Configured). Auth fixes for OpenRouter and LM Studio. Boba Tea Tycoon removed from UI.

Beta notice: This is a beta version — crashes and code errors are possible. Please report to Support if anything goes wrong.

v7.0.1a-Final-arm64

Fully responsive CPU monitor UI — adaptive layouts, flexible stat cards, scalable charts and panels, 14px default font (12px compact). Fixed battery charging status; battery time remaining beside charge level; toggles to show/hide Stress Test and Benchmark. All monitor features with improved resize behavior. No AI chat. Boba Tea Tycoon removed.

v8.1-Beta-arm64

Beta AI chat — Gemini, OpenAI, Anthropic, Grok, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, LM Studio, Ollama, and Hermes. Cloud keys in Keychain; local LM Studio/Ollama/Hermes need no API key. All v6.2.4 monitor features included.

Beta notice: This is a beta version — crashes and code errors are possible. Please report to Support if anything goes wrong.

v6.2.4-Final-arm64

Stable release — CPU monitor, Boba Tea, benchmark, fixed menu bar popover layout and in-popover stat detail popups. No AI chat.

v6.2.3-Final-arm64

Gemini Chat tab in the main window — bring your own API key (stored in Mac Keychain), chat via gemini-2.0-flash. Menu bar popover unchanged (Monitor + Boba Tea only).

v6.2.2-Final-arm64

Fixed temperature stuck at 50°C — wider load-based estimate, SMC peak reading (not average), and blend when package sensors read low. Minecraft server section on the website.

v6.2.1-Final-arm64

Final Apple Silicon build — live battery % and charge speed (pmset/ioreg), Boba Tea Tycoon tab, CPU/SSD fixes, stat detail sheets, game bundling, Lazy Dog UI, RAM/SSD stats, and DMG distribution.

v4.2.1-Windows-Final-x86

Final Windows x86 release — macOS-style tray monitor (BASE/BOOST/TEMP/CORES, battery, CPU graph, RAM/SSD bars, per-core list, stress test, benchmark). Pre-built .exe + PowerShell source installer. Requires .NET 8 Desktop Runtime for the EXE, or built-in .NET Framework for the .ps1 compile path.

v6.0.1a

v6 release — minimal UI redesign, Lazy Dog font, live RAM and SSD stats, improved benchmarking, clickable detail popups, and rNitro-v6.0.1a.dmg on the website.

v5.0.0a

More accurate benchmarking — 3-second timed phases, dedicated serial single-core queue, warm-up/cool-down between phases, @inline(never) hot loop, and WorkSink accumulator. Clickable BASE/BOOST/TEMP/CORES detail popups. EB Garamond font (later changed to Lazy Dog in v6).

v5.1.2a

Fixed inaccurate benchmark results. The single-core timing could be optimized away entirely since its result was never used, and multi-core rendered slightly different content than single-core, so the two scores weren't truly comparable. Both phases now render identical work, run for a fixed 2-second window each (so they self-scale to any CPU speed), include a short warm-up so clocks are ramped before timing starts, and score real completed work that the compiler can't discard.

v5.1.1a

More accurate temperatures — rNitro now reads real sensor data straight from the SMC (the same controller iStat Menus, TG Pro, and Macs Fan Control read from), falling back to the old estimate only if the SMC can't be reached. Also bumped the live refresh rate from 900ms to 750ms, so the menu bar, popover stats, and history graph all feel snappier.

v5.0.1a

Added stress test and benchmarking. A new built-in benchmark sits next to the stress test in the popover: it times a fixed, repeatable render workload — first on a single thread, then across every logical core — and turns the throughput into single-core and multi-core scores, Cinebench-style, so you get a comparable number instead of just a live load graph.

v4.2.0

Added a built-in CPU stress test. Spins up one real busy-loop thread per logical core (like Prime95 or stress-ng) so you can watch usage, temperature, and clock speed respond live under genuine full load, right inside the popover. Always user-initiated, stoppable with one click, and automatically stops if the app quits.

v4.1.2

Fixed the popover getting visually cut off. Dynamic header text (CPU name, core count) could force the app's content to grow past its declared frame, making the popover render wider than it should — now hard-clamped so this can't happen, and widened slightly for more breathing room.

v4.1.1w-21a

Added a support chatbot to the website — a small popup in the bottom-right corner that answers common questions about install, temperature readings, Windows support, BTC price, security, and uninstalling. Fully client-side, rule-based, no backend or API key. Falls back to the email support form for anything it doesn't recognize.

Beta-v3.27w-23a

Fixed minor bugs.

v3.2.2a

Fixed a compile error — ptrace() isn't bridged by Swift's Darwin module, so the anti-debugger check now resolves it via dlsym at runtime. Also replaced a deprecated Security-framework API (SecTrustGetCertificateAtIndex) with its modern equivalent (SecTrustCopyCertificateChain) in the pinned TLS session.

v3.2.1b

Added support for Windows 10 and 11 — a PowerShell installer (install-rNitro-windows.ps1) that compiles rNitro from C# source using csc.exe built into .NET Framework. No SDK download required. Includes a system tray icon, live CPU/RAM/temp popup, 60-second history graphs, and live BTC price — same data sources as the Mac version. Download on the Windows tab above.

v3.1.3

Refresh rate changed to 900ms. Added a ₿ symbol to the left of the menu bar CPU readout.

v3.1.2b

Stats now refresh every 500ms instead of every 1 second — the menu bar, popover, and game overlay HUD all feel noticeably snappier. The usage history graph buffer was doubled so it still spans a full 60 seconds at the new refresh rate.

v3.1.2

Menu bar now shows "CPU: X% Temp: Y°" instead of just a usage percentage, so both numbers are visible at a glance without opening the popover.

v3.1.1a

Added an automatic update check. On every launch, rNitro checks getrnitro.netlify.app for the latest published version; if a newer one exists, you'll see an alert and your default browser will open to this page so you can grab it.

v2.1.0

Added an in-game overlay HUD — like MSI Afterburner's on-screen display — showing live CPU%, GPU%, temperature, and RAM. Toggle with ⌥⇧O. It's click-through and stays on top of fullscreen games without stealing input. Also added "Launch App with FPS HUD," which runs a Metal-based game with Apple's own native Metal HUD enabled for real, engine-reported FPS and frame time — we don't fake FPS numbers, since macOS has no public API to hook another process's renderer. GPU usage and RAM usage are now read from real OS sources (IOKit accelerator stats, host VM statistics) too, not estimated.

v2.0.1a

Fixed minor temperature bug — the gauge could appear stuck at one value (e.g. 40°C) while in the Nominal thermal state. It now interpolates within each thermal-state band based on live CPU usage, so it moves smoothly instead of sitting flat. Still grounded in the OS's real Nominal/Fair/Serious/Critical signal, not a synthetic guess.

v2.0.1

Fixed menu bar bug — the menu bar popover's content was getting clipped/cut off. Version bump also marks the 2.0 line — real thermal-state monitoring and menu bar mode (introduced in 1.2.2) are now the baseline.

v1.2.2

Replaced the synthetic temperature estimate with a value driven by macOS's real thermal state (ProcessInfo.thermalState) instead of a fake formula based on load — still shown in °C for readability, banded by the OS's actual Nominal/Fair/Serious/Critical signal rather than guessed. Added menu bar mode: a live CPU% readout always visible in the menu bar, with a click-to-open quick view, independent of the main window.

v1.2.1

Patched minor bug. Added a custom app icon, generated programmatically at install time and embedded into the app bundle.

v1.1.0 — Security Update

Hardened the installer end-to-end: refuses to run via curl | bash, builds in a randomized, permission-locked temp directory instead of a predictable path under Downloads, verifies all required tools exist before use, checks the compiled binary isn't a symlink before installing it, refuses to delete ~/Applications/rNitro.app if it's been swapped for a symlink, tightens file permissions throughout, and ad-hoc code-signs the final app bundle. The self-verifying SHA-256 checksum is now pinned and published above.

v1.0 — Initial release

First public release. Native CPU usage, temperature, clock speed, and per-core monitoring, compiled locally via swiftc.

By downloading, installing, compiling from the official source code, accessing, or using rNitro in any form, including Stable, Beta, Preview, Nightly, Windows, macOS, Linux, and any future releases, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not download, install, or use rNitro.

Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms govern your use of rNitro and any associated downloads, updates, documentation, or online services provided by the developer. Your continued use of the software constitutes your acceptance of the most recent version of these Terms.

Software Provided "AS IS"

rNitro is provided free of charge on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis without warranties, guarantees, or conditions of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the developer disclaims all warranties, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, uninterrupted availability, compatibility, security, reliability, accuracy, or error-free operation.

The developer does not guarantee that rNitro will operate without interruptions, bugs, crashes, freezes, security vulnerabilities, data loss, hardware stress, increased resource consumption, overheating, reduced battery life, or other unexpected behavior.

You acknowledge and agree that your use of rNitro is entirely at your own risk.

Beta and Experimental Features

Beta releases, preview builds, nightly builds, experimental features, benchmarks, stress-testing tools, AI integrations, and third-party services may be incomplete, unstable, or subject to unexpected changes without notice.

Such features may experience instability, increased hardware usage, inaccurate results, temporary service interruptions, data corruption, or complete failure to function. You acknowledge these risks and voluntarily assume full responsibility for using any experimental or pre-release functionality.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the developer, contributors, licensors, and any affiliated parties shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, punitive, or other damages arising out of or relating to your installation, use of, inability to use, or reliance upon rNitro.

This limitation includes, without limitation, damages relating to data loss, file corruption, hardware or software failures, reduced system performance, overheating, battery drain, business interruption, lost profits, lost revenue, security incidents, service interruptions, or any other loss or damage arising from the use of the software.

Where applicable law does not permit certain limitations of liability, such limitations shall apply only to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Third-Party Services

rNitro may communicate with or integrate third-party software, application programming interfaces (APIs), artificial intelligence providers, cloud services, or other external platforms.

The developer has no control over these services and makes no representations regarding their availability, accuracy, security, reliability, or continued operation. Your use of third-party services is governed solely by the terms and privacy policies of the respective providers.

The developer accepts no responsibility for outages, changes, generated content, pricing, functionality, or any loss arising from third-party services.

User Responsibilities

You are solely responsible for maintaining backups of your files, protecting your data, ensuring that your device meets the necessary system requirements, and determining whether rNitro is suitable for your intended use.

rNitro is not designed, certified, or intended for use in environments where software failure could result in injury, loss of life, significant property damage, or other high-risk situations, including medical, emergency response, aviation, industrial control, financial trading, or similar critical applications.

Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise stated, all trademarks, branding, logos, graphical assets, documentation, original source code, and other intellectual property associated with rNitro remain the exclusive property of the developer or their respective owners.

Nothing contained within these Terms grants you ownership of any intellectual property rights except where expressly permitted by an applicable license.

Any third-party software, libraries, fonts, or components included with rNitro remain subject to their respective licenses.

Software Updates

The developer may release updates, modifications, security patches, new features, or revised versions of rNitro at any time.

The developer also reserves the right to modify, suspend, discontinue, or permanently remove any feature, service, download, or version of rNitro without prior notice.

Availability

The availability of downloads, online services, cloud features, AI functionality, updates, documentation, or websites associated with rNitro is not guaranteed.

The developer reserves the right to discontinue any part of the project at any time without liability.

Acceptable Use

You agree to use rNitro only in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

You agree not to misuse, interfere with, abuse, or intentionally disrupt any online services provided through rNitro, nor represent modified or unofficial versions as official releases.

Changes to These Terms

The developer reserves the right to revise these Terms and Conditions at any time.

Updated versions become effective upon publication unless otherwise stated. Your continued use of rNitro after revised Terms have been published constitutes your acceptance of those changes.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws applicable in the jurisdiction in which the developer resides, except where mandatory consumer protection laws provide otherwise.

Nothing contained in these Terms is intended to limit or exclude any legal rights that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.

Entire Agreement

These Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between you and the developer concerning rNitro and supersede any prior agreements, communications, understandings, or representations relating to the software.

By downloading, installing, compiling from the official source code, accessing, or using rNitro, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

I have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions

Open the right way

Join our Minecraft server!

Download the PKG, DMG, or App ZIP

Or use the .sh installer (if you don't trust the PKG)

First launch

Download the EXE (easiest)

Or compile from source

Use rNitro