Vanilla review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Mac app that hides menu bar icons, with a one-time Pro upgrade
Black Friday: is there a Vanilla sale?
Vanilla report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a cleaner Mac menu bar
Vanilla hides menu bar icons on a Mac, and the free version does that. But the keyboard shortcut, auto-hide and start at login are Pro at $10, and it's Mac only.
Who Vanilla is for
- 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
Who Vanilla is not for
- 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
Why Vanilla 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 hide icons, and Vanilla Pro is $10 one-time with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- BFree plan and trialThe free version hides and shows icons. The shortcut, removed-icons section, auto-hide and start at login are Pro.
- CFeaturesIt hides menu bar icons and does that one job fully, a smaller job. The extras sit in Pro.
- BEase of useInstall and click: nothing to set up. No store rating is on record.
- CPlatforms and integrationsMac only. The pages state no macOS version requirement.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Matthew Palmer's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/vanilla#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/vanilla.svg" alt="Vanilla: 2.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Vanilla stands among desktop utilities
Vanilla's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 116 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 37.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 55 of 186) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 187 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. Vanilla’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 55 of 186, level with 131
- BFree plan and trialAbove 75 of 186, level with 31
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 186, level with 110
- BEase of useAbove 78 of 186, level with 108
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 111 of 186, level with 60
Keep Vanilla, or make your own?
Your call
It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon.
Vanilla sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $10, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
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. Vanilla’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 Vanilla?
Vanilla is a small Mac app that hides icons in the menu bar so the bar looks cleaner. The free version covers hiding and showing icons. Vanilla Pro, a one-time purchase, adds a keyboard shortcut, a section for completely removed icons, auto-hide and start at login.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Vanilla pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Vanilla has a free plan, and paid plans start at $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro.
- Starts at
- $10 one-time for Vanilla Pro
- Free plan
- Vanilla is free and hides menu bar icons. Pro adds extra features on top.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla | $0 | Free app for hiding menu bar icons on a Mac. |
| Vanilla Pro | $10one-time purchase | One license code activates up to 10 Macs. 30-day money-back guarantee. |
Read from matthewpalmer.net on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Vanilla before you buy.
Vanilla alternatives
- Vanilla vs Bartender
Free trial · from $19.99/yr
- Vanilla vs Ice
Free
- Vanilla vs Thaw
Free
Common questions
Does Vanilla have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Vanilla is listed for macOS.
Does Vanilla have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Vanilla is listed for macOS.
Is Vanilla open source?
Vanilla is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.