Hidden Bar vs Ice (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hidden Bar and Ice share a 2.8 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Oct 9, 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.
Which one is for you
Pick Hidden Bar if
- Fits if you only want to tuck away the menu bar icons you rarely click
- Works for Macs on macOS 13 or later, installed from GitHub or Homebrew
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for anyone after a full menu bar manager, since it's one arrow and a hidden section
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, or want it from the Mac App Store, which still shows version 1.8 from June 2021
- Watch out: always-hidden icons can still show after expanding unless you hide the separators too
- Watch out: a new app's icon can start out hidden, and options like a custom collapse delay need the terminal
- Skip it if you run macOS betas: the manual lists a hiding failure on a macOS 27 beta, and macOS 27 needs Accessibility permission
Pick Ice if
- Fits if your Mac menu bar is crowded and you want some items out of sight
- Works for people who want a free, open-source menu bar tool
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are on Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Watch out: the site doesn't say which macOS versions it needs
- Too light for anyone wanting paid support, as it is a volunteer open-source project
- Not for you if you want more than menu bar tidying, since that is all it does
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAHidden BarGood | 2.8GPAIceGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT licence, whether you get it from the Mac App Store, Homebrew or a direct download. There's nothing to buy. | AFree to download, and the source is public under GPL-3.0. That is under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free, and it's listed as Free on the US Mac App Store. Auto collapse, the global shortcut and the always-hidden section all come with it. | AFree outright with no cap. The site has a donate page, but nothing is locked. |
| Features | CHiding icons is about as small as a job gets, and this is all of it: a collapsible section, auto collapse after a delay, a global hotkey and an always-hidden zone. The manual admits always-hidden icons can still appear unless you hide the separators too, and two settings exist only as terminal commands. | CHides and shows items, drag-and-drop arranging, appearance options, search and custom spacing. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job than most utilities. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: Command-drag icons past the separator and click the arrow. A newly installed app's icon can start out in the hidden zone, so you drag it out once. | BNo rating on record. It is a menu bar app you install and use, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, a single operating system. Current GitHub releases need macOS 13 or later, while the Mac App Store listing still shows version 1.8 from June 2021. No integrations are listed. | DMac only. No Windows, phone or web version, and no integrations. |
| Best for | hiding spare menu bar icons for free | hiding Mac menu bar clutter |
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: Hidden Bar and Ice. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hidden Bar has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ice has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Hidden Bar for less, and none scores higher than Ice for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceMenu bar app
At a glance
| Hidden Bar | Ice | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is free on the Mac App Store, through Homebrew or as a direct download, and is open source under the MIT license. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Dwarves Foundation | Jordan Baird |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | icemenubar.app |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Ice
- Mac only; the site does not state which macOS versions it needs.
- A volunteer open-source project; no paid support is listed.
Key features
Hidden Bar
- Collapsible hidden section
- Command-drag icons to the left of the separator, then click the arrow to collapse or expand that part of the menu bar.
- Auto collapse
- Hidden icons are tucked away again after a chosen delay. The countdown pauses while the pointer is in the menu bar.
- Global shortcut
- A system-wide hotkey set in Preferences expands or collapses the hidden section from any app.
- Always-hidden section
- An optional second zone holds icons that stay hidden even when the bar is expanded. Option-clicking the arrow reveals it.
- Full menu bar on expanding
- A preference lets the expanded icons use the whole menu bar for a moment, which the manual says helps when the menu bar is tight on space.
- Terminal-only options
- Settings with no interface, changed with the defaults command, include expanding on hover and a custom auto-collapse delay.
Ice
- Hide and show items
- Hides menu bar items and shows them on hover or click.
- Items below the bar
- Shows hidden menu bar items in a bar below the menu bar.
- Drag-and-drop arranging
- Arrange menu bar items by dragging them.
- Appearance options
- Customize how the menu bar looks.
- Item search
- Search menu bar items to find one quickly.
- Custom spacing
- Change the spacing between menu bar items.
Plans
Hidden Bar
Hidden Bar$0
Collapsible hidden section, auto collapse, global shortcut, always-hidden section and launch at login. Listed as Free on the US Mac App Store.
Ice
Ice$0
Free to download. The site links to a donate page and the GitHub source (GPL-3.0).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hidden Bar or Ice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hidden Bar and Ice are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Hidden Bar or Ice?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hidden Bar and Ice have a free plan.
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.