Best Octobar Alternatives in 2026
The top Octobar alternatives are Thaw, Bartender and SaneBar: 15 menu bar customization software our editors would look at instead of Octobar, in our ranking order.
Octobar: Octobar combines menu bar control, notch handling, and practical Mac utilities. Where it falls short: the free plan limits users to five active modules.
Switching from Octobar? For most menu bar customization software buyers the best Octobar alternative is Thaw, built for free power users needing deep customization.
Why People Look for an Octobar Alternative
- The free plan limits users to five active modules
- Runs only on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 15 Sequoia or later
- Advanced organization through submenu groups requires Octobar Pro
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
Visit Thaw
All 15 Octobar Alternatives, Ranked
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Best forFree power users needing deep customization
- Better than Octobar:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 7.6
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 forPower users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit
- Better than Octobar:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 7.6
A broad Mac menu bar toolkit for users who need profiles, triggers, widgets, and layouts.
- Custom menu items
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Bartender -
Best forFree users wanting polished organization
- Better than Octobar:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 7.6
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 Octobar:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 7.6
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 Octobar:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 7.6
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 Octobar:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 7.6
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
- Better than Octobar:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 7.6
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
- Better than Octobar:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 7.6
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 Octobar:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 7.6
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 Octobar:
- Editor score 7.7 vs 7.6
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 building custom shortcut menus
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
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
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
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
Octobar Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Octobar?
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 Octobar?
Yes. Thaw, SaneBar, Pelmet, Ice 2 and Hidden Bar have a free plan or a free tier (12 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Octobar alternatives?
The free plan limits users to five active modules; Runs only on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 15 Sequoia or later; Advanced organization through submenu groups requires Octobar Pro.
How do I switch from Octobar?
Export your data from Octobar (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 Octobar.
How to Switch from Octobar
- Export your data from Octobar (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 Octobar.
Octobar vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Hide menu items | Rearrange items | Group menu items | Multiple displays | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Octobar | Yes | $4.99 one-time | Yes | Yes | 7.6 | ||
| 1 | Thaw | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Bartender | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 | |
| 3 | SaneBar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 |
| 4 | Pelmet | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 | |
| 5 | Ice 2 | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 |
| 6 | Hidden Bar | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 |
| 7 | Foldaway | No | $9.99 one-time | Yes | No | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 8 | Dozer | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 | ||
| 9 | Vanilla | Yes | $10 one-time | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 | |
| 10 | iBar-Menubar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.7 | ||
| 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 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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