Ice 2 vs Hidden Bar

Ice 28.5Visit HBHidden Bar8.3Visit

Higher score Ice 2 #5 in Menu Bar Customization Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 7 features Visit Ice 2

vs

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

• Ice 2 fits best

  Free users wanting straightforward organization

• Hidden Bar fits best

  Simple free icon hiding

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Side by side

Feature	Ice 2 8.5/10 Visit ↗	HBHidden Bar 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.3
Ranking	#5 in Menu Bar Customization Software	#6 in Menu Bar Customization Software
Best for	Free users wanting straightforward organization	Simple free icon hiding
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Support	Email, Community	Community, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Ice 2 5/7 · Hidden Bar 5/7
Hide menu items	✓	✓
Rearrange items	✓	✓
Group menu items	✓	✓
Custom menu items	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Keyboard shortcuts	✓	✓
Multiple displays	✓	✓
Notch support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free and open-source with no paid tier Layout editor, profiles, and automatic rehiding Multiple-display support with click, hotkey, and edge hover controls	Free and open source Supports hiding, rearranging, shortcuts, and automatic collapse Handles multiple displays with automatic hidden-zone resizing
Cons	Designed for macOS only Some Ice Bar and single-item controls are unavailable on macOS 27 Fewer integrations and advanced features than broader alternatives	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	Ice 2 is a free, open-source menu bar manager for macOS from Dragon App. It is designed for people who want to reduce menu bar clutter without removing access to less frequently used items. Selected items can be hidden behind a divider or… 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

• Ice 2 — where it wins

  • Free and open-source with no paid tier
  • Layout editor, profiles, and automatic rehiding
  • Multiple-display support with click, hotkey, and edge hover controls

  Where it doesn't

  • Designed for macOS only
  • Some Ice Bar and single-item controls are unavailable on macOS 27
  • Fewer integrations and advanced features than broader alternatives

• 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

• Ice 28.5/10 · Free plan

  A focused free tool for hiding, arranging, and revealing Mac menu bar items.

  Visit Ice 2Full verdict →
• HBHidden Bar8.3/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit Hidden BarFull verdict →