Compare software

Vanilla vs Thaw: catalog facts
Vanilla	Thaw
Best for: Mac users who want a cleaner menu bar with little setup	Best for: Mac users with crowded menu bars, especially on notched displays
Free + paid options Free to use, with a paid Vanilla Pro upgrade for extra features.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 licence.
macOS	macOS
Very simple setup Free version covers basic icon hiding All 3 strengths for Vanilla Very simple setup Free version covers basic icon hiding Pro adds a toggle shortcut and auto-hide	Many ways to reveal hidden items, plus keyboard search Conditional triggers and per-display or per-Focus profiles All 4 strengths for Thaw Many ways to reveal hidden items, plus keyboard search Conditional triggers and per-display or per-Focus profiles Menu bar styling with tints, gradients and shapes Actively developed with frequent commits
Shortcut, auto-hide and start at login require Pro macOS only	macOS only The large number of options can take time to set up
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Vanilla matthewpalmer.net/vanilla Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Thaw github.com/thaw-app/Thaw Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.