Best Menu Bar Customization Software in 2026
Updated
In short: GreatBar is ranked #1 of 25 as of 5 October 2026, ahead of Hidden Bar and iBar-Menubar. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Hidden Bar. The lowest first paid tier on this page is iBar-Menubar at CNY 1.50/mo.
A crowded Mac menu bar can be easier to manage when you can control which items appear and where they sit. Compare hiding and rearranging items, grouping controls, custom menu items, and keyboard shortcuts. Multiple-display and notch support may matter for your setup; check those alongside free-plan availability and paid-from pricing. GreatBar, Hidden Bar, and iBar-Menubar are among the software options, with Ice 2 and Pelmet also represented. Start with how you want to organize the visible items, then weigh the listed display support and customization features against your preferences.
25 menu bar customization software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
9 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GreatBarMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 2 | Hidden BarMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 3 | iBar-MenubarMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | CNY 1.50/mo | 6.4 | |
| 4 | Ice 2Mac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 5 | OverhangMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | PelmetMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | SaneBarMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | ThawMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | VanillaMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | FinbarMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 11 | BarkAPI | One bar | — | — | 0 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 12 | CorniceMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | DozerMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | JellyBarMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | LloydMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 16 | MenuBarDockXMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 17 | OctobarMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | OverflowBarMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | SwiftBarMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | xbarMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | BartenderMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $1.67/mo | 5.1 |
| 22 | ChocolateBarMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 23 | ExtraBarMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 24 | FoldawayMac | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.8 |
| 25 | ManicoMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 4.7 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Hide menu items | Rearrange items |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GreatBar | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Hidden Bar | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | iBar-Menubar | 6.4 | Free plan | CNY 1.50/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Ice 2 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Overhang | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | No | No |
| 6 | Pelmet | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | SaneBar | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Thaw | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Vanilla | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 10 one-time | Yes | — |
| 10 | Finbar | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | — |
| 11 | Bark | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Cornice | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | No |
| 13 | Dozer | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | JellyBar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Lloyd | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | No | No |
| 16 | MenuBarDockX | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 17 | Octobar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | 4.99 one-time | Yes | — |
| 18 | OverflowBar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 19 | SwiftBar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 20 | xbar | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | No | No |
| 21 | Bartender | 5.1 | No | $1.67/mo | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | ChocolateBar | 4.8 | No | — | No | 15 one-time | Yes | Yes |
| 23 | ExtraBar | 4.8 | No | — | No | — | No | No |
| 24 | Foldaway | 4.8 | No | — | No | 9.99 one-time | Yes | No |
| 25 | Manico | 4.7 | No | — | No | 15 one-time | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which menu bar customization software is ranked first on Freedom251?
GreatBar is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 6.4. Hidden Bar is second and iBar-Menubar third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, iBar-Menubar has the lowest first paid tier we found: CNY 1.50/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.