I’ve been managing Mac menu bars since the early days of OS X, and I still remember the frustration of watching my menu bar items disappear behind application menus on smaller screens. When Bartender first appeared over a decade ago, it felt like magic—suddenly I could hide the icons I didn’t need constantly visible and access them with a simple click. Now with Bartender 5, the app has evolved into something far more sophisticated while maintaining that original simplicity.
Bartender 5 introduces a completely redesigned experience for macOS Sequoia and Sonoma. The core functionality remains intuitive: you can hide menu bar items and reveal them instantly through various methods—clicking, hovering, scrolling, or even swiping. But it’s the new features that caught my attention during testing on my M1 MacBook Pro.
The standout addition is the preset system with automatic triggers. I’ve configured different menu bar layouts that activate based on context—when my battery drops below 20%, Bartender automatically shows my battery monitoring apps. When I connect to my office WiFi, it switches to my work preset with development tools visible. You can even trigger presets based on location or time, creating a menu bar that adapts throughout your day.
The visual customization options in Bartender 5 are impressive. You can apply color tints or gradients to your menu bar, add borders and shadows, and even create a rounded “pill” style menu bar that gives macOS a fresh look. The app includes a feature called “Bartender Bar” that provides an additional row beneath your menu bar for overflow items—particularly useful on MacBooks with the notch.
Menu bar item grouping is another thoughtful addition. I’ve grouped my communication apps together, my system monitors in another group, and creative tools in a third. Combined with spacers for visual separation, my menu bar finally feels organized rather than chaotic. The groups can expand on hover or click, keeping everything accessible but tidy.
What sets Bartender apart from newer alternatives is its maturity and reliability. The app includes AppleScript support for automation, comprehensive keyboard shortcuts for any menu bar item, and even promises an upcoming widget system that will let you create custom menu bar items. After using it extensively, I’m seeing minimal resource usage—typically under 0.5% CPU and around 50MB of memory.
The licensing model is straightforward: a 4-week free trial lets you test all features, and the full version is a one-time purchase. If you’re upgrading from Bartender 4, there are discounts available, especially if you purchased recently. The app is also available through Setapp if you’re already a subscriber.
One limitation worth noting is that Bartender 5 requires macOS Sonoma or later. If you’re running an older version of macOS, you’ll need to stick with Bartender 4. The app also requires standard accessibility permissions to manage menu bar items, which is expected for this type of utility.
For anyone serious about Mac productivity, Bartender remains the gold standard for menu bar management. While free alternatives like Ice and Hidden Bar offer basic functionality, Bartender’s preset system, triggers, visual customization, and upcoming widget support justify its price for power users. It’s one of those apps that becomes invisible once configured—you just enjoy a cleaner, more organized menu bar that adapts to your workflow.
The fact that Bartender has been continuously developed for over a decade speaks to its value. It’s survived multiple macOS redesigns, adapted to new hardware like the MacBook notch, and continues to innovate with features like the upcoming widget system. For managing the ever-growing collection of menu bar apps that modern Mac workflows require, Bartender 5 offers unmatched control and flexibility.
