FavTray vs Bartender
Bartender is the most complete menu bar manager on the Mac, and its Pro tier now adds a Dynamic Island called Top Shelf. FavTray's Menu Bar is a free, simpler tool (reorder, Collapse all, Open all) inside an app that also has its own island. Here's the honest side-by-side.
See it in action
Feature comparison
| Feature | FavTray | Bartender |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Menu Bar is free; FavTray Pro is a $4.99 one-time Lifetime licence | Bartender 7 one-time; Bartender Pro yearly; Mega Supporter lifetime (prices shown in your currency) |
| Trial and refunds | Menu Bar needs no trial; 7-day full trial of Pro, no card | 14-day free trial of Pro; 14-day refund |
| Macs per licence | One Mac | All your Macs |
| macOS support | Tested on macOS 14–26; not yet verified on macOS 27 | Bartender 7 for macOS 27; Bartender 6 for macOS 26 and 15 |
| Reorder icons | One click: a step toward or away from the clock, or to either end | Spacing and reordering |
| Hide icons | Collapse all and Open all in one click, with pinned apps that stay | Hide, show and quick-reveal per item, plus a second Bartender Bar |
| Groups and profiles | No | Groups and profiles per context |
| Triggers | No | Show items on conditions such as battery, Wi-Fi, location and time |
| Search and hotkeys | No | Search menu bar items; hotkeys for any item |
| Dynamic Island | FavShelf: free glance; tools with any paid plan | Top Shelf, with or without a notch, in Bartender Pro and Mega Supporter |
| Beyond the menu bar | Eye rest, AI usage, system stats, ports, window snapping, meetings and more | Menu bar management, plus Top Shelf and audio controls in Pro |
| Ownership | Built by one developer, Akash Rajagopal | Sold by its creator to Applause Group in 2024 |
Bartender details checked on 2026-09-28 from macbartender.com, its purchase page and the Bartender 6 page; ownership from MacRumors. We'll correct anything Bartender tells us is out of date. FavTray details reflect version 2.0.2.
The verdict
Pick Bartender if you manage your menu bar actively: per-icon hiding, a second bar, triggers, groups, profiles, search and hotkeys, with macOS 27 support in Bartender 7. Nothing free matches it, and Pro's Top Shelf adds an island if you want one.
Pick FavTray if you mostly want the icons you use nearest the clock and a one-click way to clear the rest, for free, in the same app as eye rest, AI usage, system stats, ports and a Dynamic Island. Pro is a one-time $4.99, not a yearly plan.
Want free and open source instead? See Bartender alternatives. Icons hiding behind the notch? Start with the macOS 27 notch fix.
Frequently asked questions
Can FavTray replace Bartender?
Only if you want a tidy bar rather than a managed one. FavTray's free Menu Bar reorders icons with a click and collapses every app icon out of the bar, then brings them back. It doesn't hide icons one by one, and it has no triggers, groups, profiles, search or hotkeys. If you use those, Bartender is the better tool.
Does Bartender work on macOS 27?
Bartender 7 is built for macOS 27 Golden Gate, according to macbartender.com on 28 September 2026. For macOS 26 Tahoe the site points to Bartender 6, and says Bartender 6 licences bought in 2026 get Bartender 7 free.
Does Bartender have a Dynamic Island?
Yes, in its paid tiers. Bartender Pro (yearly) and Mega Supporter (lifetime) include Top Shelf, which Bartender describes as a Dynamic Island for Mac, with or without a notch, plus audio controls. FavTray's FavShelf is its Dynamic Island: the glance is free and the tools come with FavTray's one-time Lifetime licence.
Who owns Bartender now?
Applause Group. Bartender's creator, Ben Surtees, sold it in 2024; users found out through a changed code-signing certificate before any announcement, as MacRumors reported on 4 June 2024.
Is FavTray's Menu Bar free?
Yes. Reorder, Collapse all and Open all are free with no daily limit. It needs Accessibility and Screen Recording permission, and it's tested on macOS 14 to 26.
More: FavTray Menu Bar · Best Mac notch apps