# Dato

> Mac menu bar calendar with world clocks and meeting alerts

Dato is a Mac menu bar app from developer Sindre Sorhus. Clicking it opens a small calendar, a list of upcoming events and reminders, and world clocks, and it can show the next event in the menu bar and cover the screen with a notification when a meeting starts. It reads events from the calendar accounts already set up in macOS and does no syncing of its own. It is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store and is also distributed through Setapp.

- **Category:** Calendar & Scheduling
- **Made by:** Sindre Sorhus
- **Website:** https://sindresorhus.com/dato
- **Runs on:** macOS
- **Facts last checked:** Oct 9, 2026

## Pricing

Dato is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $18 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store.

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **Free plan:** None.
- **Free trial:** Free trial download with every feature; it shows a buy reminder every 12 hours and does not update automatically.

| Plan | Price | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dato | $18 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store | The full app. The App Store listing promises free upgrades and says Dato will never be subscription-based. |

Read from https://sindresorhus.com/dato on Oct 9, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Dato before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Menu bar bundle of three apps for $18.00** (Other savings): The Mac App Store sells Sindre's Menu Bar Bundle, which contains Dato, Lungo and Battery Indicator, for $18.00, the same price as Dato alone. Source: https://apps.apple.com/us/app-bundle/sindres-menu-bar-bundle/id1439413445?mt=12
- **50% off for schools buying 20 or more copies** (Education): For his App Store apps, Sindre Sorhus says educational institutions get a 50% discount when they buy 20 or more copies of one app through Apple School Manager. Source: https://sindresorhus.com/apps/discounts
- **Also available through Setapp** (Other savings): Dato is distributed through the Setapp app subscription as well as the App Store, and the vendor's page says Setapp can be tried free for 7 days. Source: https://sindresorhus.com/dato
- **Older versions are free on older macOS** (Other savings): Earlier releases for macOS 10.14 through macOS 15 are listed as free for everyone on the vendor's page. They will not run on newer macOS versions. Source: https://sindresorhus.com/dato

## Key features

- **Menu bar calendar and event list:** A month calendar with optional week numbers and event indicators sits above a list of upcoming events and reminders. How many days and events it shows is adjustable.
- **Fullscreen meeting notifications:** A notification fills the screen when an event starts. It can be limited to video calls, events with an alert or accepted events, and paused with a Focus Filter.
- **Join video calls:** Join the next call from a notification, the event details or a global keyboard shortcut. Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and more than 50 other services are recognized, and others can be added.
- **World clocks and time travel:** Clocks for several time zones appear in the Dato menu or the menu bar, with custom names and offline search of 15,000 cities. A slider shows what time it will be elsewhere.
- **Upcoming event in the menu bar:** The next event can be shown as its own menu bar item, next to a date and time display whose format, icon and color can be customized.
- **Shortcuts, widgets and quick entry:** A global keyboard shortcut opens the new event window, which can also create reminders. Shortcuts actions switch calendars and notifications on or off, and widgets show the date, calendar and world clocks.

## Good for

- Mac users who want their schedule one click away in the menu bar
- People who keep missing the start of video meetings
- Anyone working across time zones who wants several clocks in view
- Buyers who want a one-time purchase and no subscription

## Worth knowing

- Mac only. The current version requires macOS 26 or later; older macOS releases get older versions of the app.
- The vendor calls it a read-only view of your events: it can create events, but editing one or answering an invitation opens Apple's Calendar app.
- It has no sync of its own. Google, Outlook and other accounts must first be added to the built-in Calendar app.
- Natural-language entry is not supported yet, and the menus and settings are in English only.

## Works with

Apple Calendar, Apple Reminders, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Fantastical, BusyCal, Shortcuts

**Tags:** Calendar, Menu bar app, One-time purchase

## Alternatives

- [Itsycal](https://toolgpa.com/tools/itsycal): Free, tiny menu bar calendar for the Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dato-vs-itsycal)
- [MeetingBar](https://toolgpa.com/tools/meetingbar): Free Mac menu bar app that shows and joins your next meeting. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dato-vs-meetingbar)
- [In Your Face](https://toolgpa.com/tools/in-your-face): Full-screen meeting reminders for Mac, Windows, iPhone and iPad. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dato-vs-in-your-face)
- [Fantastical](https://toolgpa.com/tools/fantastical): Calendar and tasks app for Apple devices and Windows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/dato-vs-fantastical)
- [BusyCal](https://toolgpa.com/tools/busycal): Customizable calendar and task app for Mac and iPhone. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/busycal-vs-dato)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 9, 2026:

- https://sindresorhus.com/dato
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dato/id1470584107?mt=12
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app-bundle/sindres-menu-bar-bundle/id1439413445?mt=12
- https://sindresorhus.com/apps/discounts

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/dato
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).