With macOS 14.4 and 15.0 betas, Apple changed how menu bars render. rebuilds its rendering engine to eliminate the "flicker" seen in v9.0. It also natively supports the new "Stage Manager menu bar integration."
If you are running Bartender 8 or 9.0:
| Feature | Bartender 9.2 | Hidden Bar (Free) | Ice (Open Source) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Per-app notch avoidance | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No | | Location-based triggers | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ⚠️ Via shortcuts only | | Instant reveal (no lag) | ✅ Yes | ❌ 200ms lag | ⚠️ 150ms lag | | macOS Sequoia native | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Beta only | ❌ No | | Price | $16/year (or $39 lifetime) | Free | Free | bartender 9.2
: Use built-in tools to trigger printing based on specific events, like an inventory update. Bartender 9
For a menu bar utility, the bloat in 9.0 and 9.1 was a genuine concern. Version 9.2 is leaner than even the legendary Bartender 4. For a menu bar utility, the bloat in 9