ChocolateBar vs Hidden Bar: collapse the clutter, or show it
Hidden Bar does one thing and does it cleanly, for free. ChocolateBar starts from the same clutter problem but answers it by showing your icons rather than collapsing them out of sight.
Hidden Bar does one job, for free
Hidden Bar is about as direct as these apps get. A couple of arrows in the menu bar, a click to collapse or expand the section beside them, done. It is free, it is open source, it is maintained by the Dwarves Foundation, and for plenty of people that is all a menu bar manager ever needs to be.
When you want more than collapse and expand
ChocolateBar picks up where that stops. It can collapse the clutter the same way, but it can also bring those icons up into a second row below the menu bar, full size, instead of leaving them tucked behind a divider. That same row can carry your open apps, so it doubles as a switcher, and you can turn the apps off if it feels like too much on screen. That row is what I am tuning most right now, so expect it to keep getting tidier in the updates ahead.
Layered on top is the customization Hidden Bar intentionally leaves out. Position and layout, mini or verbose, themes and translucency, filters, and profiles you can switch between. That is the trade in a sentence. Hidden Bar is the tidy, free, no-fuss option. ChocolateBar is for when "hidden" is not really what you want, you want to see them, just with more room to put them. It is a native app, paid once, with a 48-hour trial and networking limited to update checks.
| Feature | ChocolateBar | Hidden Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Collapse menu bar clutter | Yes | Yes |
| Show hidden icons in a second row | Yes, full size | No, kept behind a divider |
| Open app windows in the row | Yes, optional | No |
| Customization (layout, themes, profiles) | Extensive | Minimal by design |
| Price | $15 one-time | Free |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Questions people ask
Hidden Bar is free and open source. Why pay for ChocolateBar?
If collapse and expand is the whole job, Hidden Bar is great and you should keep it. ChocolateBar earns its keep when you want those icons surfaced in a row, your apps alongside them, and control over how it all looks.
Can ChocolateBar just collapse icons the way Hidden Bar does?
Yes. It can hide the overflow behind a chevron exactly like that. The difference is that it can also show those same icons in the second row instead of only hiding them.
Is there a trial?
Yes, 48 hours, no account required.
Try it on your own menu bar.
ChocolateBar is a native Mac app for Apple Silicon and Intel, Monterey or later. $15, one-time. Free for 48 hours, no account needed.