WhatCable
WhatCable is a macOS application designed to diagnose and understand the real capabilities of your USB-C cables, ports, and connected devices.
Our verdict
Who it's for
Uncover the true capabilities of your USB-C cables and ports on macOS.
Who should look elsewhere
Only available for macOS 14+ and Apple Silicon Macs.
Pros
- +Provides highly detailed and accurate USB-C diagnostics directly from IOKit.
- +Helps identify exact bottlenecks in charging and data transfer.
- +One-time purchase for the Pro version with free updates.
- +User-friendly interface with a menu bar app and optional detached windows.
- +Includes advanced features like CLI monitoring and desktop widgets for power users.
Cons
- −Only available for macOS 14+ and Apple Silicon Macs.
- −Many advanced diagnostic features are locked behind the Pro version.
- −May be overly technical for average users who only need basic information.
Key features
- ✓Charging bottleneck identification
- ✓Data-speed bottleneck identification
- ✓Cable e-marker data decoding
- ✓Active transport identification (USB 2, 3, 4, Thunderbolt, DisplayPort)
- ✓Engineer mode for IOKit properties
- ✓Live power metering (Pro)
- ✓Power Delivery (PD) contract inspection (Pro)
- ✓Cable resistance estimation (Pro)
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhatCable Pro | $4.99 | month | One-time payment, no subscription; All 13 pro features unlocked immediately; Works on up to 2 Macs with one key |
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