boring.notch vs Thaw

boring.notch

• MacBook owners who want media controls in the notch area
• People who share files by AirDrop and want a drop target at the top of the screen
• Anyone looking for a free, open-source notch app

Thaw

• Mac users with a crowded menu bar, including MacBooks with a notch
• People who want a free, open-source alternative to paid menu bar managers
• Showing or hiding items by context, such as the display, Space or Focus

boring.notch

• macOS only. The README requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, while the website's download card says macOS 13 Ventura or later.
• The team has no Apple Developer account, so macOS blocks the first launch until a Terminal command or a System Settings override is used; the Homebrew install avoids this.
• Bluetooth live activities, weather, customizable layouts, lock screen widgets and an extension system are on the roadmap but not marked as done.
• YouTube Music support needs version 3.11 or later of the YouTube Music (Pear Desktop) app.

Thaw

• macOS only, and the README says it needs macOS 26 or later.
• Only battery and power triggers are on by default. Other conditions are enabled one at a time from Developer settings, and some are marked experimental.
• It needs Accessibility permission to move menu bar items. Live item previews and wallpaper-based tinting also need Screen Recording permission.

boring.notch

Music controls in the notch

Shows what is playing with a visualizer and playback controls that can be rearranged, including 15-second skips, app volume and favorites, plus synchronized lyrics in beta.

File shelf with AirDrop

Dragging files to the notch opens a shelf that holds them for AirDrop and other sharing services, with multi-item selection and a right-click menu of file actions.

System HUD replacement

Replaces the macOS on-screen indicators for volume, screen brightness and keyboard backlight with its own display in the notch, with optional percentages.

Calendar and reminders

Calendar and reminders integrations are built in, with settings to hide all-day events, scroll automatically to the current or next event and stop long event names being cut off.

Mirror and battery indicator

The project roadmap marks two further additions as done: a mirror, and a charging indicator that shows the current battery percentage.

Lock screen and screenshot options

The notch can appear on the lock screen, can be hidden from screenshots and recordings, and its size and gestures can be adjusted for different displays.

Thaw

Hide and reveal menu bar items

Items go into a hidden or always-hidden section and come back by hovering, clicking an empty area, scrolling, swiping or pressing a hotkey, then hide again automatically.

Thaw Bar

Hidden items can be shown in a separate bar below the menu bar, intended for MacBooks with a notch. The bar can have its own shape, tint and border.

Search and hotkeys

A search panel finds and opens any menu bar item from the keyboard. Hotkeys toggle sections, open a specific item's menu and switch profiles.

Triggers

An item can be revealed or hidden when a condition is met, such as battery level, Wi-Fi network, the active Focus or a script's exit code. Conditions combine with AND and OR.

Profiles

The whole configuration can be saved as a profile and bound to a display, a Space or a Focus filter. Profiles can be imported, exported and given script hooks.

Menu bar appearance

Tint, gradient, shadow, border and custom shapes for the menu bar, with separate settings for light and dark mode and overrides per Space.

boring.notch

• boring.notch$0

  Every feature, as a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs from GitHub Releases or Homebrew. No account or license key.

Thaw

• Thaw$0

  Hidden sections, the Thaw Bar, item search, triggers, profiles, hotkeys and menu bar styling. GPL-3.0 licensed, with no tracking or account.