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Best Pelmet Alternatives in 2026

Free#4 of 25 in Menu Bar Customization Software

The top Pelmet alternatives are Thaw, Bartender and SaneBar: 15 menu bar customization software our editors would look at instead of Pelmet, in our ranking order.

8.7/10Editor score

Visit Pelmet

Pelmet8.7 Visit Pelmet

15 alternatives
Updated Oct 2026
Our Pelmet verdict

Pelmet: Advanced menu bar layout control without a paid tier. Where it falls short: requires macOS 27 (golden gate) or later.

Switching from Pelmet? For most menu bar customization software buyers the best Pelmet alternative is Thaw, built for free power users needing deep customization.

Why People Look for a Pelmet Alternative

Requires macOS 27 (Golden Gate) or later
Distributed outside the Mac App Store
Uses a private Apple framework whose compatibility may change

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 Pelmet 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.

1
Thaw
Best forFree power users needing deep customization
- Better than Pelmet:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.7
A free, highly configurable way to organize, hide, and search macOS menu bar items.
- Custom menu items
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
Free plan Our Thaw verdict → Visit Thaw
9.4/10★★★★★
Visit Thaw
2
Bartender
Best forPower users wanting the fullest Mac toolkit
- Better than Pelmet:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.7
A broad Mac menu bar toolkit for users who need profiles, triggers, widgets, and layouts.
- Custom menu items
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
Our Bartender verdict → Visit Bartender
9.2/10★★★★★
Visit Bartender
3
SaneBar
Best forFree users wanting polished organization
- Better than Pelmet:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 8.7
A capable free option for organizing crowded Mac menu bars.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
Free plan Our SaneBar verdict → Visit SaneBar
8.9/10★★★★☆
Visit SaneBar
4
Ice 2
Best forFree users wanting straightforward organization

A focused free tool for hiding, arranging, and revealing Mac menu bar items.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
Free plan Our Ice 2 verdict → Visit Ice 2
8.5/10★★★★☆
Visit Ice 2
5
Hidden Bar
Best forSimple free icon hiding

A focused, free utility for hiding and organizing crowded macOS menu bars.
- Multiple displays
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
Free plan Our Hidden Bar verdict → Visit Hidden Bar
8.3/10★★★★☆
Visit Hidden Bar
6
Foldaway
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
14-day trial Our Foldaway verdict → Visit Foldaway
8.1/10★★★★☆
Visit Foldaway
7
Dozer
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
Open source Our Dozer verdict → Visit Dozer
7.9/10★★★★☆
Visit Dozer
8
Vanilla
Best forUsers wanting a proven low-cost option

A low-cost macOS utility for hiding, removing, and controlling menu bar icons.
- Multiple displays
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
Free plan Our Vanilla verdict → Visit Vanilla
7.8/10★★★★☆
Visit Vanilla
9
iBar-Menubar
Best forUsers wanting free basic icon management

A focused macOS utility for organizing crowded menu bars, with a useful free mode.
- Rearrange items
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
Free plan · 10-day trial Our iBar-Menubar verdict → Visit iBar-Menubar
7.7/10★★★★☆
Visit iBar-Menubar
10
Octobar
Best forUsers wanting menu tools plus notch handling

Octobar combines menu bar control, notch handling, and practical Mac utilities.
- Custom menu items
- Notch support
- Hide menu items
Free plan Our Octobar verdict → Visit Octobar
7.6/10★★★★☆
Visit Octobar
11
GreatBar
Best forUsers building custom shortcut menus

A flexible free launcher for organizing custom shortcuts on macOS.
- Custom menu items
- Rearrange items
- Hide menu items
Free plan Our GreatBar verdict → Visit GreatBar
7.5/10★★★★☆
Visit GreatBar
12
OverflowBar
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
Free plan Our OverflowBar verdict → Visit OverflowBar
7.4/10★★★★☆
Visit OverflowBar
13
ChocolateBar
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
2-day trial Our ChocolateBar verdict → Visit ChocolateBar
7.3/10★★★★☆
Visit ChocolateBar
14
JellyBar
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
Free plan Our JellyBar verdict → Visit JellyBar
7.2/10★★★★☆
Visit JellyBar
15
MenuBarDockX
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
Free plan Our MenuBarDockX verdict → Visit MenuBarDockX
7.1/10★★★★☆
Visit MenuBarDockX

Pelmet Alternatives: Common Questions

What is the best alternative to Pelmet?

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 Pelmet?

Yes. Thaw, SaneBar, Ice 2, Hidden Bar and Dozer have a free plan or a free tier (12 of the 15 alternatives on this page).

Why do people look for Pelmet alternatives?

Requires macOS 27 (Golden Gate) or later; Distributed outside the Mac App Store; Uses a private Apple framework whose compatibility may change.

How do I switch from Pelmet?

Export your data from Pelmet (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 Pelmet.

How to Switch from Pelmet

Export your data from Pelmet (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 Pelmet.

Pelmet vs Each Alternative

#	Tool	Free plan	Paid from	Hide menu items	Rearrange items	Group menu items	Multiple displays	Score
4	Pelmet	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes		Yes	8.7
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	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

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update