Bartender vs Vanilla (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Vanilla grades higher than Bartender: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Vanilla grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
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
Vanilla
Mac app that hides menu bar icons, with a one-time Pro upgrade
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 Vanilla if
- Fits if your Mac's menu bar is crowded, especially with a notch
- Works for people who just want to hide icons with no fuss
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as only Mac is covered
- Tight if you want start at login, since that is Pro at $10
- Too light for you if you want more than hiding icons
- Watch out: the pages state no macOS version requirement, and screen recording permission is linked from the page
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABartenderFair | 2.8GPAVanillaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree to hide icons, and Vanilla Pro is $10 one-time with a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| 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. | BThe free version hides and shows icons. The shortcut, removed-icons section, auto-hide and start at login are Pro. |
| 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. | CIt hides menu bar icons and does that one job fully, a smaller job. The extras sit in Pro. |
| 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. | BInstall and click: nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. |
| 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. | CMac only. The pages state no macOS version requirement. |
| Best for | taming a crowded Mac menu bar | a cleaner Mac menu bar |
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 Vanilla. How we grade
Where they differ
- Bartender also covers workflow automation and clipboard manager.
At a glance
| Bartender | Vanilla | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7) | $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro |
| Free plan | None | Vanilla is free and hides menu bar icons. Pro adds extra features on top. |
| Free trial | Four-week free trial of Bartender 7; Bartender Pro has a 14-day free trial | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Applause Group, Inc. | Matthew Palmer |
| Price read from | macbartender.com | matthewpalmer.net |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Vanilla
- Mac only. The pages read state no macOS version requirement, though help pages cover Catalina and later and notched MacBooks.
- The keyboard shortcut, removed-icons section, auto-hide and start at login are all Pro-only.
- The vendor's page links a screen-recording permission help page; the permission details were not read.
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.
Vanilla
- Hide menu bar icons
- Hides the icons you pick from the Mac menu bar; the vendor's page says to download it, launch it and follow the prompts.
- Keyboard shortcut (Pro)
- Sets a custom shortcut that toggles the menu bar icons and desktop icons.
- Completely removed icons (Pro)
- A section for icons that stay out of sight and appear only when Vanilla's preferences window is open.
- Auto-hide (Pro)
- Hides icons again automatically five seconds after you toggle them in Vanilla.
- Start at login (Pro)
- Launches Vanilla when you log in to the Mac.
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.
Vanilla
Vanilla$0
Free app for hiding menu bar icons on a Mac.
Vanilla Pro$10
one-time purchase
One license code activates up to 10 Macs. 30-day money-back guarantee.
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.
Vanilla
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bartender or Vanilla?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bartender starts at $19.99 / year (Bartender Pro) or $24.99 one-time (Bartender 7), and Vanilla starts at $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro.
Which has a free plan, Bartender or Vanilla?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Vanilla has a free plan. Bartender does not, though it has 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.