Ice review (2026): is it any good?
Menu bar manager for hiding and arranging Mac menu items
Ice report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for hiding Mac menu bar clutter
Ice hides and rearranges menu bar items on a Mac, shows hidden ones in a bar under the menu bar, and costs nothing. It does that one job and no more, runs on Macs only, and the site doesn't say which macOS versions it needs.
Who Ice is for
- 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
Who Ice is not for
- 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
Why Ice gets a 2.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree to download, and the source is public under GPL-3.0. That is under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright with no cap. The site has a donate page, but nothing is locked.
- CFeaturesHides 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.
- BEase of useNo rating on record. It is a menu bar app you install and use, with nothing to set up.
- DPlatforms and integrationsMac only. No Windows, phone or web version, and no integrations.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Ice's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Ice? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/ice-menubar#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/ice-menubar.svg" alt="Ice: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Ice stands among desktop utilities
Ice's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 61 of the 96 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 96) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Ice has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 97 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Ice’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 24 of 96, level with 72
- AFree plan and trialAbove 53 of 96, level with 43
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 96, level with 67
- BEase of useAbove 34 of 96, level with 62
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 96, level with 61
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 52 desktop utilities. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Ice, or make your own?
Keep it
Ice is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Ice’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Ice?
Ice is a menu bar manager for macOS. It hides and shows menu bar items, lets you reveal hidden items below the menu bar, and offers drag-and-drop arranging. It can also change the menu bar's appearance, search menu bar items and adjust item spacing. The app is free; the site links to GitHub and a donate page.
Worth knowing
- Mac only; the site does not state which macOS versions it needs.
- A volunteer open-source project; no paid support is listed.
Key features
- 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.
Ice pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Ice is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Ice | $0 | Free to download. The site links to a donate page and the GitHub source (GPL-3.0). |
Read from icemenubar.app on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Ice before you buy.
Ice alternatives
- Ice vs Bartender
Free trial · from $19.99/yr
- Ice vs Thaw
Free
Common questions
Does Ice have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Ice is listed for macOS.
Does Ice have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Ice is listed for macOS.
Is Ice open source?
Yes. Ice is open source, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.