Side by side

Hidden Bar vs StatsD

Both stand on menu bar apps. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Hidden Bar

Free plan Mac

Hidden Bar offers direct controls for tucking away menu bar items, including a second hidden section and automatic re-collapse. Check its macOS 27 permissions and limits if using that system version.

Visit Hidden Bar

Choose StatsD if you need an open-source daemon to aggregate metrics on a self-hosted Linux system and send them to one or more backends. Look elsewhere if you need multiple server modules running simultaneously or a stated commercial support offering.

Visit StatsD

The facts

	Hidden Bar	StatsD
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Mac	Linux, Self-hosted
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On menu bar apps	#6 of 23	#10 of 23

Hidden Bar: what it does well

Free, open-source app.
Command-dragging rearranges which icons are hidden.
Automatic re-collapse and system-wide shortcut are available.
An optional second section stays hidden when expanded.
Homebrew and manual installation are available.

What to know first

On macOS 27, direct download needs Accessibility permission.
macOS 27 hiding is per app; built-in items stay visible.
On macOS 27, it must run from /Applications.
macOS 27 hiding depends on a private Apple framework.

StatsD: what it does well

Accepts metrics over UDP or TCP.
Handles counters, timers, gauges, and sets.
Defaults to a 10-second aggregation interval.
Can run multiple built-in backends at once.
Offers a TCP management interface on port 8126.

What to know first

Only one server module can run at a time.
Timer histograms are disabled by default.
Multi-metric packet payloads should stay within the network MTU.

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