Best Menu Bar Customization Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Vanilla is ranked #1 of 25 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of iBar-Menubar and Bartender. The best-ranked option with a free plan is iBar-Menubar. The lowest first paid tier on this page is iBar-Menubar at CNY 1.50/mo.
If your Mac menu bar is crowded, compare how each tool lets you hide, rearrange, or group items, create custom menu items, and use keyboard shortcuts. Multiple-display and notch support can be important for your setup, so check those details as well as free-plan availability and paid-from pricing. Thaw and Bartender lead the ranking, followed by SaneBar and Ice 2; Vanilla, Hidden Bar, Pelmet, and iBar-Menubar are also among the first entries. Think about how you want controls organized and visible, then weigh those preferences against the display support and pricing each option lists.
25 menu bar customization software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Vanilla Top pick · 7.1 Free plan · Free
#2 iBar-Menubar Runner-up · 7.0 Free plan · CNY 1.50/mo
#3 Bartender Also great · 6.8 $1.67/mo
- Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 10 one-time
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatformsCNY 1.50/mofirst paid tier About iBar-MenubarVisit site - Free trial macOS
- Free plan
- No
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$1.67/mofirst paid tier About BartenderVisit site - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatformsFree About ThawVisit site - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- No
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- No
- Custom menu items
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- No
- Custom menu items
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Hide menu items
- No
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- No
- Custom menu items
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 4.99 one-time
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- No
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - apiRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- macOS
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 15 one-time
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- Yes
- Group menu items
- No
- Custom menu items
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- No
- Hide menu items
- No
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 9.99 one-time
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Rearrange items
- No
- Group menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Hide menu items
- Yes
- Custom menu items
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 15 one-time
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which menu bar customization software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Vanilla is ranked #1 of 25 with a score of 7.1. iBar-Menubar is second and Bartender third.
How many of these have a free plan?
8 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, iBar-Menubar has the lowest first paid tier we found: CNY 1.50/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.