SwiftBar vs Thaw
We give SwiftBar a 3.0 GPA and Thaw a 3.2, out of 4.0. Thaw grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
How we grade them
| 3.0GPASwiftBarVery good | 3.2GPAThawVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT license, from GitHub Releases or Homebrew. No paid edition is listed. The repository carries a sponsor link if you'd like to chip in. | AFree and open source under GPL-3.0. The README says there's no purchase, no subscription, no account and no upgrade fee for new macOS versions. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe complete app is free, with every plugin type and the bundled plugin repository. No license key and no account. | AThe whole app is free: hidden sections, the Thaw Bar, item search, triggers, profiles, hotkeys and menu bar styling. No tracking and no account either. |
| Features | AIt does one thing, script output in the menu bar, and does it fully. Scripts in any language, refresh intervals from milliseconds to days or cron schedules, colors, SF Symbols and click actions per line, and plugins that stay running to push updates. A URL scheme lets other apps drive it. | AHidden and always-hidden sections, a search panel that opens any menu bar item from the keyboard, and triggers that show an item by battery level, Wi-Fi network or Focus. Profiles bind a whole setup to a display or a Space. You can even restyle the menu bar. That's the full job. |
| Ease of use | CThis one needs scripts, so a C. Every menu bar item is a plugin you take from the repository or write yourself. Several preferences, such as hiding SwiftBar's own item, aren't in the settings window and are set with Terminal commands. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Hiding icons is simple, but it needs Accessibility permission first. Only battery and power triggers are on by default, and the rest are switched on one at a time from Developer settings. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS Monterey (12) and later. It can take its menu content from an Apple Shortcut and runs xbar plugins. Nothing for Windows or Linux. | DMac only, and the README says it needs macOS 26 or later. It works with Raycast, Alfred, Apple Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro and BetterTouchTool. Nothing for Windows or Linux. |
| Best for | putting your own scripts in the Mac menu bar | a free tidy-up for a crowded 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: SwiftBar and Thaw. How we grade
Where they differ
- SwiftBar is free. Thaw is free.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceMenu bar app
At a glance
| SwiftBar | Thaw | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is open source under the MIT license, downloaded from GitHub Releases or installed with Homebrew. No paid edition is listed; the repository carries a sponsor link. | The whole app is free and open source under GPL-3.0. The README says there is no purchase, subscription, account or upgrade fee for new macOS versions. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ameba Labs | thaw-app |
| Price read from | github.com | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
SwiftBar
- Mac users comfortable writing shell, Python or other scripts
- People who already have BitBar or xbar plugins
- Showing custom status readouts or quick actions in the menu bar
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
Worth knowing
SwiftBar
- macOS only; it runs on macOS Monterey (12) and later.
- It shows nothing by itself: every menu bar item needs a plugin script, taken from the plugin repository or written by the user.
- Every file in the plugin folder is imported as a plugin and made executable unless a .swiftbarignore file excludes it.
- Several preferences, such as hiding SwiftBar's own item, are not in the settings window and are set with Terminal commands.
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.
Key features
SwiftBar
- Plugins are plain scripts
- Any executable script in the language of your choice becomes a menu bar item: the lines it prints before the first separator form the title, and the rest fill the drop-down menu.
- Refresh intervals and cron schedules
- A refresh interval goes in the file name, as in date.1m.sh, from milliseconds up to days. A metadata tag accepts cron syntax for one or several schedules instead.
- BitBar and xbar compatibility
- The plugin format is adopted from BitBar and xbar, so existing plugins for those run unchanged, and a Get Plugins menu item opens a bundled plugin repository.
- Formatting and click actions
- Per-line parameters set colors, fonts, SF Symbols, images, badges and tooltips, and make an item open a URL, run a script, show a web view or respond to a hotkey.
- Shortcuts and streaming plugins
- Beyond standard scripts, an Apple Shortcut can supply the menu content, ephemeral plugins create temporary items on demand, and streamable plugins stay running to push updates.
- URL scheme
- swiftbar:// links refresh, enable, disable or add plugins, post notifications and create temporary menu bar items, so other apps and scripts can drive it.
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.
Plans
SwiftBar
SwiftBar$0
The complete app with every plugin type and the bundled plugin repository. MIT licensed, with no license key or account.
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.
