Bartender vs TG Pro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bartender and TG Pro share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bartender
Menu bar manager for macOS that hides and organizes items
TG Pro
Mac temperature monitor with manual and automatic fan control
Which one is for you
Pick Bartender if
- Fits if your MacBook's notch is hiding menu bar icons
- Works for people who want an item to show only under certain conditions, like joining a Wi-Fi network
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want something free, as there's only a four-week trial of Bartender 7 and 14 days of Pro
- Not for you if you're on Windows or Linux, since it's macOS only
- Pricey if you want the notch tools, because Top Shelf needs Pro at $19.99 a year or a Mega Supporter license
- Watch out: Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27; on macOS 26 the same key gets you Bartender 6 instead
- Watch out: the pricing page shows local currency only, and the Mega Supporter license has no dollar price in text
Pick TG Pro if
- Fits if you want to see Mac temperatures and keep fans from running late
- Works for people chasing thermal throttling on heavy work
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free tool, since there is a 14-day trial and nothing after it
- Watch out: fanless Macs get temperature readings only
- Watch out: manual and Max fan options depend on the Mac model and settings
- Not for you if you use Windows, as it is Mac only
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABartenderFair | 2.4GPATG ProFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ABartender 7 is $24.99 once, with all Bartender 7 updates, and that one payment is less than a year of this category's middle subscription. Bartender Pro is $19.99 a year for Top Shelf and future major versions, but you don't need Pro for the menu bar side. | A$10 once with no subscription, far under the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's no free version. Bartender 7 has a four-week free trial and Bartender Pro a 14-day one, and the listing doesn't say whether either wants a card. After that you buy it or you stop. | CA 14-day trial, and the listing doesn't say a card is needed. There is no free plan after it. |
| Features | CMenu bar tidying is a small job, and Bartender covers it: hide and reveal, a second bar for the overflow, a Command Bar to search items, triggers by battery, Wi-Fi, location or time, profiles on a hotkey, restyling and script-built items. The notch tools are Pro only. | CSensor readings, Auto Boost rules, manual fan speeds, alerts and CSV logs. It does that job fully, but it is a narrow one. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record, but the main job needs no setting up: hidden items come back with a swipe, a scroll, a click or a hover. Triggers, profiles and script-built widgets are there if you want them, not homework before it works. | BNo rating on record. Install it and temperatures appear in the menu bar. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, so one operating system. Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27, and on macOS 26 the vendor points you to Bartender 6, which the same license key activates. It does work with Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript and Siri. | DMac only, on Intel and Apple Silicon. No Windows, phone or web version. |
| Best for | taming a crowded Mac menu bar | Mac temperatures and fan rules |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bartender and TG Pro. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bartender also covers workflow automation and clipboard manager.
- TG Pro also covers system monitor.
At a glance
| Bartender | TG Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7) | $10 one-time |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Four-week free trial of Bartender 7; Bartender Pro has a 14-day free trial | 14-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Applause Group, Inc. | Tunabelly Software Inc. |
| Price read from | macbartender.com | tunabellysoftware.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bartender
- macOS only. Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27; on macOS 26 the vendor points buyers to Bartender 6, which the same license key activates.
- There is no free version: Bartender 7 has a four-week trial and Bartender Pro a 14-day trial.
- Top Shelf and future Pro tools need the Bartender Pro subscription or a Mega Supporter lifetime license.
- The pricing page shows prices in the visitor's local currency; the US dollar figures here come from the vendor's Bartender 7 launch post.
TG Pro
- Mac only; it runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 10.14 to 27.
- Fanless Macs can monitor temperatures only, since fan controls need a model with fans.
- Manual and Max fan options depend on the Mac model and settings.
- The $10 price is filled in by the page's checkout script, with the static page text showing the same figure.
Key features
Bartender
- Hide and reveal menu bar items
- Choose which menu bar items show and when. Hidden items come back by swiping, scrolling, clicking or hovering in the menu bar, or with a hotkey.
- Bartender Bar
- A second bar beneath the menu bar holds overflow items, including those the MacBook notch would cover. It opens on hover, click or hotkey and can be themed separately from the menu bar.
- Command Bar
- Search for any menu bar item and trigger it from the keyboard, switch presets and check automations. For Pro users the same bar also searches clipboard history.
- Triggers and profiles
- Triggers show items or switch presets based on battery, Wi-Fi, location, time and more. Profiles replace the whole menu bar by hotkey, trigger or display setup.
- Styling, spacing and widgets
- Restyle the menu bar with glass, tints, gradients and rounded shapes, tighten item spacing, and build custom menu bar items from built-in data sources or your own scripts.
- Top Shelf (Bartender Pro)
- A Pro tool for the MacBook notch with a Dynamic Island-style display, audio controls, weather, calendar, a clipboard manager, a file shelf with AirDrop and status for coding agents.
TG Pro
- Auto Boost fan rules
- Set a temperature threshold and fan speed for the CPU, GPU, drive or another sensor, and the fans adjust on their own.
- Manual fan speeds
- Set speeds yourself or use Max for immediate cooling. Options depend on the Mac model.
- Sensor readings
- Shows current and highest temperatures for CPU cores, GPU, SMART drive data, battery and other components.
- Menu bar readouts
- Temperatures and fan speeds sit in the menu bar, with per-sensor readings and fan controls in the dropdown.
- Hardware health checks
- Reports fan and sensor status, battery health and the last shutdown or sleep.
- Alerts and CSV logs
- Sends local notifications or email alerts at set temperatures and logs readings to CSV.
Plans
Bartender
Bartender 7$24.99
one-time purchase
Menu bar management, Bartender Bar, triggers and widgets, with all Bartender 7 updates. The license also activates the latest Bartender 6.
Bartender Pro$19.99
per year
Everything in Bartender 7 plus the Pro suite, starting with Top Shelf, and all future major versions while subscribed. 14-day free trial.
TG Pro
TG Pro$10
one-time, no subscription
Shown on the page as 50% off a crossed-out $20, with no end date stated. Covers monitoring, fan control, alerts and logging.
Ways to pay less
Bartender
- Lifetime license
Mega Supporter lifetime license
A one-time Mega Supporter license includes everything in Bartender Pro and all future versions. It was listed with a Launch Discount badge and no US dollar price in text.
- Other savings
Free or discounted upgrade from Bartender 6
Full Bartender 6 licenses bought in 2026 get Bartender 7 free, as do paid Bartender 6 upgrades bought from 14 March to 14 September 2026. Other Bartender 6 licenses get a discounted upgrade.
- Other savings
Available to Setapp subscribers
The vendor's FAQ says Setapp users can get Bartender 7 by enabling beta app updates in Setapp.
TG Pro
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bartender or TG Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7), and TG Pro starts at $10 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Bartender or TG Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Bartender nor TG Pro has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.