dockpicks

Menu bar utilities

Tidy a crowded menu bar and add small tools like keep-awake toggles.

7 apps, listed best first · prices checked October 2026

  1. Thaw

    FreeOpen source

    Free, open-source menu bar manager for current macOS

    Hides menu bar items you do not need in a hidden or always-hidden section and reveals them by hover, click, scroll or hotkey. It also offers search, drag-and-drop arrangement, a separate bar for notched MacBooks, profiles and conditional triggers.

    Our take The best free pick and as capable as most paid options. Thaw 2 is the stable release for macOS 26; the macOS 27 build (Thaw 3) is still in beta, so expect rough edges there.

    FreeGPL-3.0 licence

    Website Source

  2. Bartender

    Paid

    The long-running paid menu bar manager

    Hides, rearranges and styles menu bar items, with a Command Bar to search and trigger items, triggers that show items when conditions change, and menu bar profiles. It can work without Screen Recording permission by showing app icons instead of live captures.

    Our take The most polished commercial option, with a long free trial. Bartender 7 targets macOS 27; on macOS 26 the vendor points you to Bartender 6. Free Thaw covers most of the same ground, so try it first if cost matters.

    Price not confirmed here, see the vendor site (checked Oct 2026)by Applause Group, Inc.

    Website

  3. Barbee

    Free tier

    Mac App Store menu bar hider with notch support

    Hides and shows menu bar icons with a click or shortcut, with auto-hide, reduced icon spacing and options for notched MacBooks. It can also add custom menu bar items using emoji, SF Symbols, text or images.

    Our take A reasonable choice if you want to install from the Mac App Store. The free tier limits show/hide actions, so most regular users will end up paying.

    Free; $12.99 lifetime or $4.99/year as of Oct 2026by 翔 何

    Website Mac App Store

  4. Hidden Bar

    FreeOpen source

    Minimal free tool to tuck menu bar icons behind an arrow

    Adds a divider and arrow to the menu bar; icons to the left of the divider are hidden until you click the arrow. You arrange icons with Command-drag.

    Our take Good if you only want a simple hide/show toggle and nothing else. Install the GitHub or Homebrew build: the developer says the Mac App Store version cannot hide items on macOS 27.

    FreeMIT licenceby Dwarves Foundation

    Website Source

  5. KeepingYouAwake

    FreeOpen source

    One-click menu bar toggle to stop your Mac sleeping

    Puts an icon in the menu bar that keeps your Mac awake indefinitely or for a preset duration, and can switch itself off when the battery runs low.

    Our take The simplest maintained keep-awake app: one click in the menu bar keeps your Mac from sleeping. Beyond a timer and a low-battery cutoff there are few options, which is the point.

    FreeMIT licenceby Marcel Dierkes

    Website Source

  6. One Switch

    Paid

    Menu bar panel of one-click system toggles

    Collects common switches in one menu bar panel, such as hiding desktop icons, toggling dark mode, keeping the Mac awake, starting the screen saver and connecting AirPods.

    Our take Handy if you flip the same settings many times a day and want them one click away. Free OnlySwitch does much the same.

    Price not confirmed here, see the vendor site (checked Oct 2026)by Fireball

    Website

  7. OnlySwitch

    FreeOpen source

    Free, open-source alternative to One Switch

    A menu bar app with dozens of system toggles, including hide desktop, hide notch, dark mode, keep awake, mute mic, Bluetooth and showing hidden files. You can reorder switches, add Shortcuts and assign keyboard shortcuts.

    Our take More switches than One Switch at no cost, and actively updated. The long feature list makes it busier to set up.

    FreeMIT licenceby Bo Liu

    Website Source
Compare all 7 side by side
AppPriceModelOpen sourceApp Store
Thaw Free Free GPL-3.0 –
Bartender Paid Paid – –
Barbee Free tier Free tier – Yes
Hidden Bar Free Free MIT –
KeepingYouAwake Free Free MIT –
One Switch Paid Paid – –
OnlySwitch Free Free MIT –

Not sure which menu bar utility to pick?

Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or any AI assistant that can open links. It reads the list, asks about your Mac and budget, and suggests a short list.

Help me choose the right menu bar utility for my Mac. Read https://dockpicks.com/menu-bar/ and its plain-text version, https://dockpicks.com/menu-bar.md. Ask me which Mac I have, what I use it for and my budget, then recommend a short list from that page with the free and paid trade-offs, and say if the tool built into macOS is enough.

Or open it in ChatGPTPerplexity