Foldaway vs Hidden Bar
Foldaway
foldaway.appHidden Bar
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Foldaway | Hidden Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Menu Bar Customization Software | 7.9 (#5) | 7.5 (#13) |
| Privacy | The app says it has no analytics, telemetry, crash reporting service, or advertising SDK, and its only outbound network request is a periodic update check. | The project says the app does not use third-party services that may collect information used to identify users. |
| Purpose | Foldaway hides menu bar icons and keeps them in a panel one click below the bar. | Hidden Bar hides menu bar items to give a Mac a cleaner look. |
| Support | The maker lists [email protected] as its support contact. | The privacy policy lists [email protected] for questions or suggestions about that policy. |
Plans
In their own words
Hidden Bar
Hidden Bar is a free, open-source macOS app for hiding menu bar items. Click its arrow to expand or collapse the hidden section, and Command-drag icons across the divider to choose which items it hides. Preferences include automatic re-collapse after a selected delay and a system-wide shortcut. An optional second section stays hidden even when the main section is expanded; Option-click the arrow to reveal it. The app can launch at login through the macOS 13 or later SMAppService login item. It is available through Homebrew or manual download, and the project describes its direct download as notarized. The listed plan is free. On macOS 27, the direct download requires Accessibility permission to detect icon positions; hiding is per app, built-in macOS items remain visible, and the app must run from /Applications. That hiding feature relies on a private Apple framework that a macOS update could disrupt.