Best Bartender Alternatives in 2026
The top Bartender alternatives are Thaw, SaneBar and Pelmet: 15 menu bar customization software our editors would look at instead of Bartender, in our ranking order.
Bartender: A broad Mac menu bar toolkit for users who need profiles, triggers, widgets, and layouts. Where it falls short: available only for macOS.
Switching from Bartender? For most menu bar customization software buyers the best Bartender alternative is Thaw, built for free power users needing deep customization.
Why People Look for a Bartender Alternative
- Available only for macOS
- No free plan is offered
- Advanced tiers are needed for lifetime access and future upgrades
- No free plan — 12 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallThaw9.4
Free power users needing deep customization
Visit Thaw - Best free optionThaw9.4
Has a free plan (Bartender has none)
Visit Thaw
All 15 Bartender Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forFree power users needing deep customization
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.4 vs 9.2
A free, highly configurable way to organize, hide, and search macOS menu bar items.
- Custom menu items
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Thaw -
Best forFree users wanting polished organization
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A capable free option for organizing crowded Mac menu bars.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SaneBar -
Best forFree users wanting advanced layout control
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
Advanced menu bar layout control without a paid tier.
- Custom menu items
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Pelmet -
Best forFree users wanting straightforward organization
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A focused free tool for hiding, arranging, and revealing Mac menu bar items.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Ice 2 -
Best forSimple free icon hiding
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A focused, free utility for hiding and organizing crowded macOS menu bars.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Hidden Bar -
Best forUsers wanting grouped hidden icons
A focused macOS utility for grouped hiding, real glyphs, and direct app-menu access.
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
- Group menu items
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Foldaway -
Best forUsers wanting minimal two-group hiding
A focused macOS utility for hiding, grouping, and rearranging menu bar icons.
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
- Group menu items
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Dozer -
Best forUsers wanting a proven low-cost option
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A low-cost macOS utility for hiding, removing, and controlling menu bar icons.
- Multiple displays
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Vanilla -
Best forUsers wanting free basic icon management
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A focused macOS utility for organizing crowded menu bars, with a useful free mode.
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit iBar-Menubar -
Best forUsers wanting menu tools plus notch handling
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
Octobar combines menu bar control, notch handling, and practical Mac utilities.
- Custom menu items
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Octobar -
Best forUsers building custom shortcut menus
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A flexible free launcher for organizing custom shortcuts on macOS.
- Custom menu items
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit GreatBar -
Best forUsers needing a persistent second row
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A focused, free menu bar organizer for keeping selected icons in a persistent second row.
- Multiple displays
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit OverflowBar -
Best forUsers wanting profiles and a second row
A focused macOS menu bar manager for profiles, hotkeys, and extra vertical space.
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit ChocolateBar -
Best forUsers wanting backups and reliable layouts
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A focused free tool for tidy layouts, backups, and automatic restoration.
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
- Group menu items
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit JellyBar -
Best forUsers with overflow and notch problems
- Better than Bartender:
- Free plan
A free, open-source utility for overflow, notch, and off-screen menu bar icons.
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
- Group menu items
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit MenuBarDockX
Bartender Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Bartender?
Thaw: #1 in our Menu Bar Customization Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A free, highly configurable way to organize, hide, and search macOS menu bar items.
Is there a free alternative to Bartender?
Yes. Thaw, SaneBar, Pelmet, Ice 2 and Hidden Bar have a free plan or a free tier (13 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Bartender alternatives?
Available only for macOS; No free plan is offered; Advanced tiers are needed for lifetime access and future upgrades.
How do I switch from Bartender?
Export your data from Bartender (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Bartender.
How to Switch from Bartender
- Export your data from Bartender (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Bartender.
Bartender vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Hide menu items | Rearrange items | Group menu items | Multiple displays | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Bartender | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 1 | Thaw | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | SaneBar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 3 | Pelmet | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 4 | Ice 2 | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 5 | Hidden Bar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 6 | Foldaway | No | $9.99 one-time | Yes | No | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 7 | Dozer | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 8 | Vanilla | Yes | $10 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 9 | iBar-Menubar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.7 | ||
| 10 | Octobar | Yes | $4.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 11 | GreatBar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.5 | |
| 12 | OverflowBar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.4 | |
| 13 | ChocolateBar | No | $15 one-time | Yes | Yes | No | 7.3 | |
| 14 | JellyBar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 15 | MenuBarDockX | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | 7.1 |
Head-to-Head
- Bartender vs Thaw
- Bartender vs SaneBar
- Bartender vs Pelmet
- Bartender vs Ice 2
- Bartender vs Hidden Bar
- Bartender vs Foldaway
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update