iBar-Menubar vs Ice 2

iBar-Menubar helps Mac users reduce menu bar clutter by hiding icons and bringing them back when needed. Its standard mode folds hidden items, while aggregation mode displays them in a panel below the menu bar. The maker says this panel can help reveal icons obscured by a MacBook notch. In aggregation mode, users can temporarily place a hidden icon in the menu bar to use its app menu, then hide it again after an optional delay. The app also lets users adjust icon spacing and reorder icons in its menu bar layout settings. It supports Apple M-series and Intel Macs. The App Store listing requires macOS 10.12 or later and describes the app as Mac only. A free download is available with in-app purchases; the listed annual subscription costs 18 CNY a year. The developer reports that the app collects no data, though Apple says this developer-provided privacy information has not been verified by Apple.

Ice 2 is a free macOS app for hiding, arranging, and revealing menu bar items. It can tuck rarely used icons behind a divider; hidden items can be brought back with a click, hotkey, or by hovering over the edge. Its Ice Bar places hidden items in a separate bar that appears when needed. On macOS 27, a layout editor lets users drag apps into Visible, Hidden, or Always-Hidden sections, saving changes as they are made. Some functions are unavailable on that system: the separate Ice Bar, searching for one menu bar icon, and temporarily showing one icon. Ice 2 requires macOS 26 or later, and Accessibility permission may be needed on macOS 27 to find and hide menu bar apps. The app is open source under GPLv3 and is available through GitHub releases and Homebrew; the Mac App Store is listed as coming soon. The plan is free. Its maintainer is Teddy Chan, and the maker directs questions, bug reports, and feature requests to GitHub or email.