Bartender vs GreatBar

Bartender9.2Visit GreatBar7.5Visit

Higher score Bartender #2 in Menu Bar Customization Software 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Bartender

vs

GreatBar #12 in Menu Bar Customization Software 7.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 7 features Visit GreatBar

• Bartender fits best

  Power users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit

• GreatBar fits best

  Users building custom shortcut menus

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Bartender 9.2/10 Visit ↗	GreatBar 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	7.5
Ranking	#2 in Menu Bar Customization Software	#12 in Menu Bar Customization Software
Best for	Power users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit	Users building custom shortcut menus
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Support	Email	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Bartender 7/7 · GreatBar 5/7
Hide menu items	✓	✓
Rearrange items	✓	✓
Group menu items	✓	✓
Custom menu items	✓	✓
Keyboard shortcuts	✓	✓
Multiple displays	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Notch support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Hides, groups, rearranges, and reveals menu bar items on demand Adds profiles, triggers, widgets, hotkeys, and monitor-specific layouts Supports MacBook notches, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript, and Siri	Adds websites, apps, files, and folders to the menu bar Supports nested menus, multiple bars, and drag-and-drop reordering Offers keyboard shortcuts, website panels, and separate browsing sessions
Cons	Available only for macOS No free plan is offered Advanced tiers are needed for lifetime access and future upgrades	Runs on macOS 14 or later only Existing-item management and display coverage are less complete The app or a later version may become paid
Our verdict	Bartender is a paid macOS application for controlling how menu bar items appear and behave. It suits Mac users who want more than basic hiding: the app can rearrange item order and spacing, group several items into one customizable item,… Read the review →	GreatBar is a macOS menu bar launcher for people who want a custom home for frequently used websites, applications, files, and folders. It supports grouped shortcuts, nested submenus, separate switchable menu bars, drag-and-drop… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Bartender — where it wins

  • Hides, groups, rearranges, and reveals menu bar items on demand
  • Adds profiles, triggers, widgets, hotkeys, and monitor-specific layouts
  • Supports MacBook notches, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript, and Siri

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only for macOS
  • No free plan is offered
  • Advanced tiers are needed for lifetime access and future upgrades

• GreatBar — where it wins

  • Adds websites, apps, files, and folders to the menu bar
  • Supports nested menus, multiple bars, and drag-and-drop reordering
  • Offers keyboard shortcuts, website panels, and separate browsing sessions

  Where it doesn't

  • Runs on macOS 14 or later only
  • Existing-item management and display coverage are less complete
  • The app or a later version may become paid

• Bartender9.2/10 · Paid

  A broad Mac menu bar toolkit for users who need profiles, triggers, widgets, and layouts.

  Visit BartenderFull verdict →
• GreatBar7.5/10 · Free plan

  A flexible free launcher for organizing custom shortcuts on macOS.

  Visit GreatBarFull verdict →