ConTess vs Tessie: a Tessie alternative for Mac
Last checked: 9 October 2026
In short: Choose Tessie for phone apps and 24/7 cloud logging ($69.99 a year). Choose ConTess for a native Mac app bought once (€24.99), with no third-party servers. ConTess has no phone app.
Tessie is a very good product. It is a cloud platform with polished phone and watch apps, automations and logging that never stops, because it runs on Tessie's own servers. If you live on your phone, it is a strong choice.
But if you spend your day on a Mac, two things stand out: on the desktop Tessie is a web app, and it is a subscription. ConTess is the opposite trade.
| ConTess | Tessie | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €24.99 once (one Mac), €39.99 for three Macs | $6.99 a month, $69.99 a year or $199.99 lifetime, per vehicle; Pro $129.99 a year |
| On a Mac | Native app in the menu bar, plus a full dashboard | Web app in a browser |
| Phone and watch | No | Yes, iPhone, Apple Watch, Android, Wear OS |
| Where your data goes | Nowhere. Your own Tesla developer app, tokens and history on your Mac | Through Tessie's servers |
| Logging | While the Mac is awake; gaps are reported honestly | 24/7 in the cloud |
| Trip and charge costs | Your own tariff, day and night rates, phantom drain | Yes |
| Wall Connector | Live power, voltage and current read over your home network | Not listed |
| Setup | About ten minutes, once: a free Tesla developer app and a web address you control | Sign in and go |
The cost over time
Tessie's yearly plan costs $69.99 every year. ConTess costs €24.99 once, which is less than half of a single year, and it does not charge again: updates are free and the licence never expires. Tessie's own lifetime plan is $199.99 per vehicle.
Choose Tessie if
- you mostly check the car from your phone or watch;
- you want logging that continues while every computer you own is off;
- you would rather not do any setup at all.
Choose ConTess if
- you are at a Mac most of the day and want the car in the menu bar, not a browser tab;
- you would rather pay once than every year;
- you want no third party between you and your car, and your history in a file you own;
- you have a Tesla Wall Connector and want to see what it is actually doing.
Plenty of owners keep Tesla's own phone app for the phone and use ConTess on the Mac. ConTess needs macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon.
Questions
Does Tessie have a Mac app?
Tessie lists a desktop web app, used in a browser. As of 9 October 2026 its platform list does not include a native Mac app.
How much does Tessie cost compared with ConTess?
Tessie is $6.99 a month, $69.99 a year or $199.99 lifetime per vehicle (Tessie Pro $129.99 a year). ConTess is a one-time €24.99 for one Mac or €39.99 for up to three Macs.
Where is my data with ConTess?
On your Mac. ConTess has no servers: it uses your own Tesla developer app, keeps tokens on your Mac and stores trip and charge history in a local file you can export or delete.
Prices and availability of other apps were checked on 9 October 2026 and can change; check each vendor's own site before you buy. Spotted something out of date? Email support@contess.app and we will fix it.
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