A Bartender alternative that shows your icons instead of hiding them
Last compared: 18 Oct 2026
Bartender has been the default answer for a tidy Mac menu bar for a long time. ChocolateBar starts from a different wish, the one I had myself, which was to still see the icons the notch had eaten rather than hide them away.
What Bartender gets right
Bartender has been the name in menu bar managers for years, and it earned that. Its site describes groups, presets, triggers, search, and quick reveal by hover, click, scroll, or swipe. Hidden items can also sit in the Bartender Bar beneath the menu bar. The same page says it can reveal menu bar items the notch would otherwise cover, by making room on the menu bar. The current Pro suite lists Top Shelf, described there as a Dynamic Island for Mac.
Bartender 6 is for macOS Tahoe and Sequoia. Bartender 7 is for macOS 27 Golden Gate, and the support page says Tahoe support for Bartender 7 is coming soon. On Sonoma, a Bartender 6 license also works with Bartender 5. The purchase page lists Bartender 7 as a one-time purchase for this version, Pro as a yearly plan with a 14-day trial, and Mega Supporter as lifetime access. The page text does not include a dollar amount.
If permissions will not stick, Bartender's support page says to remove it from Screen & System Audio Recording and Accessibility, then grant them again.
If what you want is a tidy bar with a lot of control over exactly what shows and when, it is a safe pick, and I am not going to pretend otherwise.
Where ChocolateBar takes a different turn
I built ChocolateBar because I did not actually want fewer icons. I wanted to still see the ones the notch had swallowed. So instead of tucking an icon behind a chevron, ChocolateBar can drop it into a second strip right under the menu bar, full size, where you can read it and click it.
That strip can also list your running apps, one chip per app, so a click brings that app forward. It is off by default: Settings > General > Show running apps, or ⌃⌘S. Leave it off and you are left with a clean line of menu bar icons and nothing else.
A few smaller things worth knowing:
- ChocolateBar is paid once. No subscription, no upgrade fee down the road.
- Its only network access is the check for a new version. No telemetry, no analytics, and it is notarized by Apple.
- When you click an icon in the strip, it clicks the real menu bar item through the Accessibility API. The strip is your actual menu, not a screenshot of it.
Honestly, Bartender is the bigger, older app with more knobs to turn. ChocolateBar is the one that gives those icons somewhere to live out in the open. If "I just want to see my stuff" sounds more like you than "I want it all tucked away," that is the gap between us.
A Bartender alternative on Monterey, Ventura, and Intel Macs
ChocolateBar for Mac runs on macOS 12 Monterey through 15 Sequoia, including macOS 13 Ventura, on both Apple Silicon and Intel. It is a universal binary, so an Intel Mac does not need Rosetta. macOS 26 Tahoe support is coming soon. It does not run on macOS 11 or earlier.
The same app covers a notch hiding menu bar icons and a bar that simply has too many icons. The longer pages for those searches:
- Menu bar icons hidden behind the notch
- Menu bar manager for Intel Mac
- Menu bar manager for macOS Ventura
- Too many Mac menu bar icons
$15 once. The next 20 buyers pay $12 with code LAUNCH30. 48-hour free trial, no card. Apple's own menu bar icons are off by default.
Last compared: 18 Oct 2026
| Feature | ChocolateBar | Bartender |
|---|---|---|
| Tidy up an overcrowded menu bar | Yes | Yes |
| See hidden icons full size in a row | Yes, a second strip under the menu bar | Bartender Bar under the menu bar, plus hover, click, scroll, or swipe |
| Running apps in the row (optional) | Optional, off by default, one chip per app | Not listed |
| Switch apps from the row | Yes | Not listed |
| Price | $15 one-time | Bartender 7 is one-time for this version. Pro is yearly. Mega Supporter is lifetime. |
| Open source | No | No |
Questions people ask
Is ChocolateBar a drop-in replacement for Bartender?
For the everyday job, hiding the clutter and getting back the icons the notch ate, yes. Bartender's site lists presets, triggers, groups, and search, so if you rely on a very specific setup, run the 48-hour trial first and see if ChocolateBar covers it.
Can I run both at once?
You can, but they are both trying to manage the same menu bar, so it gets confusing fast. Pick the one whose approach you like and turn the other off.
Does ChocolateBar charge a yearly fee like some apps do?
No. It is $15 once. The next 20 buyers pay $12 with code LAUNCH30 at checkout. There is a 48-hour free trial and no account to create.
Is ChocolateBar a Bartender alternative on macOS Monterey or Ventura?
Yes. It runs on macOS 12 Monterey through 15 Sequoia, which includes macOS 13 Ventura, macOS 14 Sonoma, and macOS 15 Sequoia, on Intel and Apple Silicon. macOS 26 Tahoe support is coming soon.
Does this Bartender alternative run on an Intel Mac?
Yes. ChocolateBar for Mac is a universal binary. An Intel Mac on macOS 12 through 15 runs it without Rosetta.
Try it on your own menu bar.
Runs on macOS 12 Monterey through 15 Sequoia · macOS 26 Tahoe support coming soon. Universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel. $15 one-time (next 20 buyers pay $12 with code LAUNCH30). 1 year of updates, 7-day refund, 48-hour free trial (no card).