Pelmet vs Vanilla
Vanilla is a simple, closed-source menu bar hider with a free tier; keyboard shortcuts, auto-hide, launch at login and its removed section are part of the paid Pro upgrade. Pelmet ships all of its features free under the MIT licence, and adds physical-notch and software-island coverage detection.
Pelmet
Free · MITOpen source, no permissions required, detects notch overflow. macOS 13+.
Vanilla
FreemiumProprietary, closed source. Official site.
Side by side
Pelmet vs Vanilla, feature by feature
| Capability | Pelmet | Vanilla | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (MIT) | Freemium (paid Pro) | |
| Open source | ✓ | — | |
| Hide and show menu bar icons | ✓ | ✓ | |
| ⌘-drag to arrange | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Keyboard shortcut | Free | Pro | |
| Auto-hide after a delay | Free | Pro | |
| Launch at login | Free | Pro | |
| Show on hover | ✓ | — | |
| Reports icons hidden by a notch or software island | ✓ | — | |
| Panel listing hidden items | Shelf | — | |
| Needs no permissions | ✓ | ✓ |
Which one
Who each app is actually for
Choose Pelmet if…
- You do not want the basics — a shortcut, auto-hide, launch at login — behind a paywall.
- You want to read the code that is manipulating your menu bar.
- You have a physical notch or use a software island such as Vibe Island.
Choose Vanilla if…
- You already own Vanilla Pro and it does what you need.
- You want the simplest possible setup and are happy with a closed-source app.
Verdict
Vanilla's free tier is genuinely usable, but the parts that make a menu bar hider pleasant to live with, including a hotkey, auto-hide, and launch at login, are paid. Pelmet ships those free under MIT and adds notch and software-island coverage detection.
Switching
Moving from Vanilla to Pelmet
- 01
Quit Vanilla
Run one menu bar manager at a time so they do not compete for the same status items.
- 02
Install Pelmet
brew install --cask ismatBabirli/pelmet/pelmet, then look next to the clock.
- 03
Command-drag your keepers to the right of the divider
Vanilla's arrangement translates directly: anything you kept visible goes right of Pelmet's ╱.
FAQ
Questions
- Is Vanilla free?
- Vanilla has a free tier that hides menu bar icons. Keyboard shortcuts, the removed section, auto-hide after a delay, and start at login are part of the paid Pro upgrade.
- Does Pelmet have a paid tier?
- No. Every feature is free under the MIT licence. Contributions through Polar are optional and unlock nothing.
Other comparisons
Try Pelmet — it uninstalls as fast as it installs
Free, MIT licensed, and no permissions to grant. If it is not better than Vanilla for you, brew uninstall --cask pelmet and nothing is left behind.
$brew install --cask ismatBabirli/pelmet/pelmet