Disclosure: we make Puff. RunCat Neo's details come from its Mac App Store listing, checked on 1 October 2026.
At a glance
| Puff | RunCat Neo | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | A creature whose mood changes | A cat that runs faster or slower |
| Reacts to | CPU, fans, heat, memory pressure, battery, disk writes, frozen apps | CPU usage (the running speed) |
| Numbers | Hidden by default, one click away | CPU, memory pressure, storage, battery and network, per its listing |
| Characters | Blob, Cat, Egg, Robot | "Powerful customization", per its listing |
| Sharing | A daily "mood card" image for X | Not mentioned in its listing |
| Price | $4.99 one-time, up to 3 Macs | Free, with in-app purchases ($3.99 and $19.99) |
| Where to get it | puff.qubixcode.com | Mac App Store |
What each one tells you
RunCat Neo answers one question at a glance: how busy is my CPU? The faster the cat runs, the harder your Mac is working, and its menu has more system numbers when you want them.
Puff answers a different question: how is my Mac feeling, and why? Because it reads several sensors, it can tell a loud-fans moment (sweating) from a full-memory moment (straining), a frozen app (dizzy), a big download (munching) or a dying battery (shivering). Click it and it tells you in plain English, like "CPU's been maxed for 3 minutes".
Choose RunCat Neo if…
- You want it free.
- CPU usage is the main thing you care about.
- You like having system numbers in your menu bar.
Choose Puff if…
- You want to know why your Mac is struggling: fans, heat, memory, a frozen app or the battery.
- You'd rather see a mood than a number.
- You like sharing things: Puff makes a daily mood card, and posting about it can get you 50% back.
Can you run both?
Yes. They're separate menu bar apps, so nothing stops you running a running cat next to a sweating blob.