How to Migrate from Bartender to SaneBar on Mac
Bartender was acquired by an unknown company. Ice is open source but limited. Here are your three options for managing your Mac's menu bar in 2026.
Option 1: Ice (Open Source) Free
Ice is a free, open-source menu bar manager. It covers the basics — hiding and showing icons, an always-hidden section, and hover/scroll gestures. A solid choice if you only need the fundamentals.
- ✓ Free & Open Source: No cost, fully transparent code.
- ✗ No Touch ID Lock: Anyone who clicks your menu bar can see your hidden apps.
- ✗ No Smart Triggers: No auto-show based on battery, Wi-Fi, Focus Mode, or app launches.
- ✗ No Import from Bartender: You have to set up your layout from scratch.
- − No Profiles: One layout for everything — no switching between work and home setups.
Option 2: Bartender (Legacy) Acquired
Bartender was the original menu bar manager for Mac. In 2024, it was quietly acquired by an unknown company. The new owners updated it with unclear privacy practices, and the app now costs $16+.
- ✓ Mature Feature Set: Gestures, search, second menu bar — it works.
- ✗ Privacy Concerns: Closed source, acquired by unknown entity. You cannot verify what it does with accessibility data.
- ✗ Expensive: $16+ with paid major upgrades.
- ✗ No Touch ID Lock: No biometric protection for sensitive icons.
- − Uncertain Future: New ownership direction is unclear.
Option 3: The Sane Way (SaneBar) Winner
SaneBar is the privacy-first menu bar manager with automatic import from both Bartender and Ice. It reads your existing configuration file and migrates your icon layout, behavioral settings, and preferences in seconds.
- ✓ Import from Bartender: SaneBar reads your Bartender plist and automatically moves icons into the correct zones (hidden, visible, always-hidden). Behavioral settings like hover delay and auto-rehide are imported too.
- ✓ Import from Ice: SaneBar imports Ice behavioral settings (hover, scroll, spacing, auto-rehide) from the Ice preferences file.
- ✓ Touch ID / Password Lock: The only menu bar manager that locks hidden icons behind biometrics. Protect crypto wallets, VPNs, and messaging apps.
- ✓ Smart Triggers: Auto-show icons based on low battery, Wi-Fi network, app launch, Focus Mode, schedule, external monitor, or custom scripts.
- ✓ 100% On-Device: Zero network requests. No analytics. No telemetry. Verify with Little Snitch: zero connections.
- ✓ Price: Basic is free. Pro is $6.99 once — own it forever.