Thaw vs GreatBar

TThaw9.4Visit GreatBar7.5Visit

Higher score T Thaw #1 in Menu Bar Customization Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Thaw

vs

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

• Thaw fits best

  Free power users needing deep customization

• GreatBar fits best

  Users building custom shortcut menus

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Side by side

Feature	TThaw 9.4/10 Visit ↗	GreatBar 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	7.5
Ranking	#1 in Menu Bar Customization Software	#12 in Menu Bar Customization Software
Best for	Free power users needing deep customization	Users building custom shortcut menus
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Thaw 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	Profiles can follow displays, Spaces, or Focus filters Conditional triggers support apps, networks, devices, schedules, and scripts Open-source and free to keep, with no purchase or subscription fee	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	Requires macOS 26 or later The latest listed alpha release is marked macOS 27 only Its extensive options may be more than simple menu bar users need	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	Thaw is an open-source macOS menu bar manager for people who want more control over a crowded menu bar. It can hide items, arrange them with drag and drop, group related items, add adjustable spacers, and search for menu bar items from the… 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

• Thaw — where it wins

  • Profiles can follow displays, Spaces, or Focus filters
  • Conditional triggers support apps, networks, devices, schedules, and scripts
  • Open-source and free to keep, with no purchase or subscription fee

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires macOS 26 or later
  • The latest listed alpha release is marked macOS 27 only
  • Its extensive options may be more than simple menu bar users need

• 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

• TThaw9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, highly configurable way to organize, hide, and search macOS menu bar items.

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

  A flexible free launcher for organizing custom shortcuts on macOS.

  Visit GreatBarFull verdict →