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SPECIFICTION
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xbar

xbarapp.com

Free plan macOS
Visit xbarapp.com
Spec score 6.9 #24 of 25 in Menu Bar Customization Software

What it is

xbar puts output from scripts and programs in the macOS menu bar, where selected information can be checked at a glance. Its library offers hundreds of ready-made plugins across areas such as AWS, finance, email, music, network, system, and weather. Examples include network status, YubiKey OATH TOTP codes, an OKX price ticker, Bluetooth trackpad battery status, miner statistics, and an RSS reader. Users can also write plugins in any language. The app's Preferences > Plugins view is where users can discover and manage plugins; the plugin directory is ~/Library/Application Support/xbar/plugins. xbar is free at free and open source under the MIT License. The project says Mat Ryer and Leah Anthony rewrote it in Go using Wails. The latest release requires macOS Catalina or newer (10.15 or later). Grouped and custom menu items and keyboard shortcuts are supported, but hiding or rearranging menu items is not. The v2.1.7-beta notes say the plugin timeout increased from one minute to two minutes.

Spec sheet

Purpose
xbar puts output from scripts or programs into the macOS menu bar.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Support
The site asks users who use xbar to consider supporting it through GitHub sponsorship.Read 7 Oct 2026 · xbarapp.com
At-a-glance information
The site describes xbar as a way to see information you care about at a glance.Read 7 Oct 2026 · xbarapp.com
Custom plugins
Users can write their own plugins in any language.Read 7 Oct 2026 · xbarapp.com
Examples
Featured plugins include network status, YubiKey OATH TOTP codes, an OKX price ticker, Bluetooth trackpad battery status, miner statistics, and an RSS reader.Read 7 Oct 2026 · xbarapp.com
Implementation
The project says xbar was rewritten in Go by Mat Ryer and Leah Anthony using Wails.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Open source
The project describes xbar as completely open source and links to an MIT license.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Platform requirement
The latest release requires macOS Catalina or newer (10.15 or later).Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Plugin library
The site offers hundreds of pre-built plugins across categories including AWS, finance, email, music, network, system, and weather.Read 7 Oct 2026 · xbarapp.com
Plugin location
The plugin directory is ~/Library/Application Support/xbar/plugins.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Plugin management
The GitHub README says users can discover and manage plugins from Preferences > Plugins in the xbar app.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
Release detail
The v2.1.7-beta release notes say the plugin timeout was increased from one minute to two minutes.Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

Free Free Open source · MIT License Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every xbar plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Hundreds of plugins across varied categories
  • Custom plugins can be written in any language
  • Free and open source under the MIT License
  • Supports grouped and custom menu items

Limits

  • Latest release requires macOS Catalina or newer
  • Menu items cannot be hidden or rearranged

Who it suits

xbar suits macOS users who want script or program output in the menu bar and are comfortable using plugins or writing their own. Users can manage plugins within the app.

Verdict

xbar offers a broad plugin library and supports custom scripts for menu-bar information. Check the Catalina-or-newer requirement and its menu-item limits before choosing it.

Where Specifiction places it

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