Dato vs Hidden Bar

Dato8.2Visit HBHidden Bar8.0Visit

Higher score Dato #5 in Menu Bar Apps 8.2/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Dato

vs

HB Hidden Bar #6 in Menu Bar Apps 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Hidden Bar

• Dato fits best

  Mac users who want calendar and meeting tools at a glance

• Hidden Bar fits best

  Free users who only need menu-bar hiding

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Side by side

Feature	Dato 8.2/10 Visit ↗	HBHidden Bar 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.2	8.0
Ranking	#5 in Menu Bar Apps	#6 in Menu Bar Apps
Best for	Mac users who want calendar and meeting tools at a glance	Free users who only need menu-bar hiding
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Dato 2/3 · Hidden Bar 0/3
Keyboard shortcuts	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Automation support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Intel Mac support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
macOS versions	macOS 26 and later	Not checked yet
Primary function	Other	Not checked yet
Menu bar items	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Shows upcoming events, week numbers and calendar indicators in the menu bar Combines multiple named world clocks with time-zone search Fullscreen meeting alerts can open or join supported video calls	Hide selected icons and keep some always hidden, even when expanded Rearrange icons across the divider with Command-dragging Use a global shortcut and automatic collapse to manage visibility
Cons	Requires a paid purchase; there is no free plan Calendar access depends on services configured through macOS Calendar Available for macOS only	Only available for macOS Does not offer custom menu items or notch support App Store and direct-download builds may differ on newer macOS versions
Our verdict	Dato is a macOS menu bar utility for people who want their calendar, upcoming events and local time close at hand. Alongside calendar views and event indicators, it can show multiple world clocks, create reminders and display meeting… Read the review →	Hidden Bar is a free, open-source macOS utility for reducing menu bar clutter. It suits solo users and small teams who want to hide selected icons, rather than add custom menu items or other menu-bar features. Icons can sit on either side… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Dato — where it wins

  • Shows upcoming events, week numbers and calendar indicators in the menu bar
  • Combines multiple named world clocks with time-zone search
  • Fullscreen meeting alerts can open or join supported video calls

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a paid purchase; there is no free plan
  • Calendar access depends on services configured through macOS Calendar
  • Available for macOS only

• Hidden Bar — where it wins

  • Hide selected icons and keep some always hidden, even when expanded
  • Rearrange icons across the divider with Command-dragging
  • Use a global shortcut and automatic collapse to manage visibility

  Where it doesn't

  • Only available for macOS
  • Does not offer custom menu items or notch support
  • App Store and direct-download builds may differ on newer macOS versions

• Dato8.2/10 · Paid

  Dato brings calendar events, time zones, reminders and meeting controls to the macOS menu bar.

  Visit DatoFull verdict →
• HBHidden Bar8.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source macOS utility for hiding and organizing menu bar icons.

  Visit Hidden BarFull verdict →