Bartender vs Hidden Bar

Bartender9.2Visit HBHidden Bar8.3Visit

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

vs

HB Hidden Bar #6 in Menu Bar Customization Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 7 features Visit Hidden Bar

• Bartender fits best

  Power users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit

• Hidden Bar fits best

  Simple free icon hiding

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Side by side

Feature	Bartender 9.2/10 Visit ↗	HBHidden Bar 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.3
Ranking	#2 in Menu Bar Customization Software	#6 in Menu Bar Customization Software
Best for	Power users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit	Simple free icon hiding
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Support	Email	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Bartender 7/7 · Hidden Bar 5/7
Hide menu items	✓	✓
Rearrange items	✓	✓
Group menu items	✓	✓
Custom menu items	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Keyboard shortcuts	✓	✓
Multiple displays	✓	✓
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	Free and open source Supports hiding, rearranging, shortcuts, and automatic collapse Handles multiple displays with automatic hidden-zone resizing
Cons	Available only for macOS No free plan is offered Advanced tiers are needed for lifetime access and future upgrades	Available only for macOS Does not offer custom menu items or integrations App Store and direct-download builds may differ on newer macOS versions
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 →	Hidden Bar is a free, open-source macOS utility for reducing menu bar clutter. It lets users place icons on either side of a divider, collapse the hidden section, and reveal it when needed. The focused feature set suits Mac users who want… 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

• Hidden Bar — where it wins

  • Free and open source
  • Supports hiding, rearranging, shortcuts, and automatic collapse
  • Handles multiple displays with automatic hidden-zone resizing

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only for macOS
  • Does not offer custom menu items or integrations
  • App Store and direct-download builds may differ on newer macOS versions

• Bartender9.2/10 · Paid

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

  Visit BartenderFull verdict →
• HBHidden Bar8.3/10 · Free plan

  A focused, free utility for hiding and organizing crowded macOS menu bars.

  Visit Hidden BarFull verdict →