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Hidden Bar alternatives

Hidden Bar compared with 4 alternatives: Bartender, Thaw, SwiftBar and boring.notch.

Hidden Bar is free to use. 3 of the 4 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.

4 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 9, 2026 · Where the facts come from

At a glance

ToolPriceFree planRuns on
Hidden BarThis toolFreeFreemacOS
BartenderFree trial · from $19.99/yrTrial onlymacOS
ThawFreeFreemacOS
SwiftBarFreeFreemacOS
boring.notchFreeFreemacOS

How each one differs from Hidden Bar

  1. Bartender

    Menu bar manager for macOS that hides and organizes items

    • Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7). Hidden Bar is free.
    • Hidden Bar has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has a free trial.
    • Bartender can be bought with a one-time purchase.
    • Hidden Bar is open source, according to its own site.
    • Bartender also covers workflow automation and clipboard manager.

    Suits: Mac users with more menu bar items than fit, especially on MacBooks with a notch

    Bartender vs Hidden BarBartender pricing and details

  2. Thaw

    Free, open-source menu bar manager for macOS

    • Thaw is free. Hidden Bar is free.

    Suits: Mac users with a crowded menu bar, including MacBooks with a notch

    Thaw vs Hidden BarThaw pricing and details

  3. SwiftBar

    Open-source tool that puts script output in the Mac menu bar

    • SwiftBar is free. Hidden Bar is free.

    Suits: Mac users comfortable writing shell, Python or other scripts

    SwiftBar vs Hidden BarSwiftBar pricing and details

  4. boring.notch

    Turns the MacBook notch into a music player and file shelf

    • boring.notch is free. Hidden Bar is free.

    Suits: MacBook owners who want media controls in the notch area

    boring.notch vs Hidden Barboring.notch pricing and details

Limits worth knowing in Hidden Bar

  • macOS only. Current GitHub releases need macOS 13 or later, while the Mac App Store listing shows version 1.8 from June 2021.
  • The manual says always-hidden icons can still appear after expanding unless the separators are hidden too, a known limitation.
  • A newly installed app's icon can start out in the hidden zone and has to be Command-dragged out once.
  • On macOS 27 the direct-download build needs Accessibility permission, and the manual lists a hiding failure on a macOS 27 beta as a known issue.
Hidden Bar pricing and details

Common questions

What are the alternatives to Hidden Bar?

The alternatives to Hidden Bar in this directory are Bartender, Thaw, SwiftBar and boring.notch. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Hidden Bar.

Is there a free alternative to Hidden Bar?

Yes. Thaw, SwiftBar and boring.notch are free to use.

When were these prices checked?

Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 5, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.

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