Hidden Bar vs Vanilla (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hidden Bar and Vanilla share a 2.8 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about the free plan, where Hidden Bar grades higher, or platforms, where Vanilla does.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
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.
Vanilla
Mac app that hides menu bar icons, with a one-time Pro upgrade
Free plan · from $10 one-time
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 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
| 2.8GPAHidden BarGood | 2.8GPAVanillaGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 hide icons, and Vanilla Pro is $10 one-time with a 30-day money-back guarantee. |
| 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. | BThe free version hides and shows icons. The shortcut, removed-icons section, auto-hide and start at login are Pro. |
| 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. | CIt hides menu bar icons and does that one job fully, a smaller job. The extras sit in Pro. |
| 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. | BInstall and click: nothing to set up. No store rating is on record. |
| 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. | CMac only. The pages state no macOS version requirement. |
| Best for | hiding spare menu bar icons for free | 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: Hidden Bar and Vanilla. How we grade
Where they differ
- Hidden Bar is open source, according to its own site.
- Vanilla can be bought with a one-time purchase.
In commonFree planmacOSMenu bar app
At a glance
| Hidden Bar | Vanilla | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro |
| 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. | Vanilla is free and hides menu bar icons. Pro adds extra features on top. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Dwarves Foundation | Matthew Palmer |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | matthewpalmer.net |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hidden Bar or Vanilla?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hidden Bar is free, and Vanilla starts at $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro.
Which has a free plan, Hidden Bar or Vanilla?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hidden Bar and Vanilla 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.