Task Manager OG brings Windows-style system monitoring to macOS
© Dave W Plummer Dave Plummer, the original developer of Windows Task Manager, is building a similar system monitoring utility for macOS. The project recreates the familiar Windows interface while providing information about processes, CPU load, memory use, storage activity and network usage.
Task Manager rebuilt for macOS
Plummer revealed the application this week with screenshots showing Task Manager running natively on a Mac. He later explained that the project started because he considers Apple’s built-in Activity Monitor less useful than the Windows alternative.
The macOS utility is written from scratch in Swift and does not contain Microsoft code. Plummer said Microsoft provided him with the Windows XP Task Manager source code and permission to demonstrate it, but this code was not used in the new application.
Hey look, it's your old friend Task Manager… on the Mac! pic.twitter.com/JYfH6Ry3sB
— Dave W Plummer (@davepl1968) July 28, 2026
The project is currently in beta. Plummer has been working on individual components, including a storage activity meter that updates instantaneous drive activity at 60 FPS. He refers to the application as Task Manager OG, or TMOG.
App Store distribution is not possible
Plummer originally planned to release the beta through the Mac App Store. He has since discovered that Apple’s sandbox requirements prevent the application from accessing the functions needed by a task manager.
According to Plummer, the sandboxed version cannot retrieve the system process list and reports zero running processes. Apple also lists terminating other applications as incompatible with the Mac App Store sandbox. The application will therefore need another distribution method, such as a direct download, or it could be released as an open-source project.
Source: Dave Plummer
