Bartender alternatives · Utilities
Open-source alternatives to Bartender
Bartender is not described as open source on its own site. 32 of the 96 other desktop utilities in this directory are open source, according to their own sites.
Bartender is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7). 31 of them are free or have a free plan.
32 tools · Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
The 12 closest to Bartender
- Free
Thaw
Free, open-source menu bar manager for macOS
- Thaw is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Thaw has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Thaw is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
SwiftBar
Open-source tool that puts script output in the Mac menu bar
- SwiftBar is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- SwiftBar has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- SwiftBar is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
boring.notch
Turns the MacBook notch into a music player and file shelf
- boring.notch is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- boring.notch has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- boring.notch is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
Ice
Menu bar manager for hiding and arranging Mac menu items
- Ice is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Ice has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Ice is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free plan · from $4.99
Maccy
Lightweight, open-source clipboard manager for macOS
- Maccy starts at $4.99 or more, pay what you want (website download via Gumroad). Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Maccy has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Maccy is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
AutoHotkey
Free, open-source scripting language for Windows automation
- AutoHotkey is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- AutoHotkey has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only AutoHotkey lists a Windows app.
- Only Bartender lists a macOS app.
- Free
Karabiner-Elements
Free, open-source keyboard customizer for macOS
- Karabiner-Elements is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Karabiner-Elements has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Karabiner-Elements is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
Stats
Free, open-source system monitor for the Mac menu bar
- Stats is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Stats has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Stats is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
Ditto
Free, open-source clipboard manager for Windows
- Ditto is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Ditto has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Ditto lists a Windows app.
- Only Bartender lists a macOS app.
- Free
Hammerspoon
Free, open-source macOS automation scripted in Lua
- Hammerspoon is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- Hammerspoon has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- Hammerspoon is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Free
MonitorControl
Free, open-source brightness and volume control for Mac displays
- MonitorControl is free. Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7).
- MonitorControl has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
- MonitorControl is open source, according to its own site.
- Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Common questions
Is there an open-source alternative to Bartender?
Yes. Hidden Bar, Thaw, SwiftBar, boring.notch, Ice, Maccy, AutoHotkey, Karabiner-Elements and 24 more are open source, according to their own sites.
Is Bartender open source?
Bartender is not described as open source on its own site. The listing was checked on Oct 5, 2026 against the pages it cites.
Which of these desktop utilities are free?
Hidden Bar, Thaw, SwiftBar, boring.notch, Ice, Maccy, AutoHotkey, Karabiner-Elements and 23 more are free or have a free plan.
When was this checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices and plans without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.
This page is built from the listings. A tool is here because its listing says so, and the order is how close each is to Bartender: the alternatives its listing names first, then the tools that share the most features with it.