Bartender vs Thaw
Bartender
macbartender.comThaw
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Bartender | Thaw |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $1.67/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Menu Bar Customization Software | 8.2 (#3) | 7.1 (#23) |
| Integrations | The maker lists Shortcuts, AppleScript, hotkeys, Siri, and agent control as ways to automate Bartender. | Thaw supports a Raycast extension and thaw:// deep links that can be used with tools including Alfred, Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, and BetterTouchTool. |
| Privacy | The maker says menu bar captures remain on the device and are cached locally, and its privacy policy says app data is not transmitted to its servers. | Thaw says it requires no account and has no tracking, analytics, or telemetry. |
| Purpose | Bartender manages macOS menu bar items, controlling which items appear and when. | Thaw is an open-source macOS menu bar manager that hides, reveals, and arranges menu bar items. |
Plans
Bartender
- Bartender Pro$19.99 a year
- Bartender 7$24.99, paid once
- Mega SupporterPrice not published
In their own words
Bartender
Bartender manages macOS menu bar items, controlling which ones appear and when. It can reveal items quickly, search them, and use custom hotkeys and triggers. Users can hide, rearrange, and group items, create custom items from built-in data sources or scripts without coding, and switch profiles by hotkey, trigger, or display setup. Bartender 7’s Command Bar searches for and triggers menu bar items; clipboard history is included for Pro users. Automation options include built-in triggers, Shortcuts, AppleScript, hotkeys, and Siri. The app works without Screen Recording permission, showing app icons rather than snapshots when permission is disabled. The maker says captures remain cached locally on the device and app data is not transmitted to its servers. Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27 Golden Gate; users on macOS 26 Tahoe are directed to Bartender 6 while Bartender 7 support is pending. Bartender 7 costs 24.99 USD as a one-time purchase, and Pro costs $19.99 a year. A license covers all Macs owned and personally used by its holder.
Thaw
Thaw is a free, open-source macOS utility for hiding, revealing, and arranging menu bar items. Users can save arrangements as profiles linked to a display, Space, or Focus filter. Conditions such as battery level, Wi-Fi network, active Focus, or a script result can trigger items to appear or disappear. Appearance options include tint, gradients, shadows, borders, custom shapes, and light and dark mode settings.
Thaw requires macOS 26 or later and supports macOS 26 and 27. It includes a Raycast extension and thaw:// deep links for tools such as Alfred, Shortcuts, Keyboard Maestro, and BetterTouchTool. The project says the app requires no account and has no tracking, analytics, or telemetry. Accessibility permission is requested on first launch; Screen Recording is optional for live previews and wallpaper-derived tinting. It is licensed under GPL-3.0 and can be installed with Homebrew or as a DMG from the latest GitHub release. Only the latest stable release receives security fixes.