Desktop softwareMac menu bar utilities playbook
Menu bar utilities spread through a close-knit Mac crowd: MacMenuBar.com, r/macapps, Setapp, Homebrew and Mac writers. Outpost prepares each listing and post the right way and in the right order, for you to submit.
01 · DISCOVERY
Mac power users find menu bar utilities through curated lists more than through search ads. They browse MacMenuBar.com and the awesome-mac list on GitHub, read r/macapps and the Mac Power Users forum, subscribe to Setapp, install tools with Homebrew, and take recommendations from MacStories and 9to5Mac. Searches like 'best mac menu bar apps' usually land on roundup posts, so getting into those lists matters as much as your own pages.
A small frustration, such as a clipboard, a timer, a stats readout or too many icons, sends someone to a roundup or subreddit. They install a free version or trial, decide within days whether it earns its place in a crowded menu bar, and then buy a license, subscribe or keep it through Setapp. Many hide extra icons with managers like Ice or Bartender, so an app has to earn its spot.
02 · CHANNELS
Ranked 5 (essential) to 1 (optional) by the research for this industry.
These lists are built for this category. MacMenuBar only accepts 'true macOS menu bar apps' and reviews each one by hand, and awesome-mac is a heavily starred GitHub list you join by pull request.
These are where enthusiasts trade recommendations. r/macapps allows self-promotion at most once per 30 days, requires disclosure, and uses a fixed post format.
Developers and power users install with brew. Acceptance depends on notability thresholds and notarized builds, so it doubles as a credibility signal.
A subscription catalog of Mac power users. It only takes mature apps that fill a category gap, but once accepted you earn from usage.
An app pick in MacStories Weekly or a 9to5Mac mention reaches Apple enthusiasts who repeat recommendations to others.
03 · YOUR FIRST MONTH
A sample month. Your own plan is built from your audit, stage and goal, and paid options only ever appear as optional boosts.
Week 1 · days 1–7
Week 2 · days 8–14
Week 3 · days 15–21
Week 4 · days 22–30
04 · WHERE TO BE LISTED
Costs are as published by each destination when the research was reviewed; check before you pay for anything.
macmenubar.com
A directory built only for menu bar apps, with manual review and a separate site for notch apps.
Not stated on the submission page; check before submitting
reddit.com
A busy Mac app community. Self-promotion is allowed once per 30 days with disclosure and the required format.
github.com
A widely starred curated list of Mac software. You submit by pull request, one app per PR.
formulae.brew.sh
Puts you one 'brew install' away for developers. It has notability rules and doesn't allow casks that require bypassing Gatekeeper.
setapp.com
A curated subscription catalog for Mac power users, with payouts based on usage.
macupdate.com
A long-running Mac download catalog with a free listing.
Free listing; paid promotion
macstories.net
MacStories Weekly has run an app pick in nearly every issue since 2015. Its readers are Apple enthusiasts.
Free editorial pitch
developer.apple.com
Built-in trust and payments. Requires sandboxing, which some menu bar features can't work with.
$99/yr developer program; 15% commission under the Small Business Program
05 · SEARCH DEMAND
Primary search
mac menu bar apps
210searches a month
DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026
Comparing: show why you
Comparing: show why you
Learning: answer with guides
Comparing: show why you
06 · AVOID
Menu bar managers are popular (the open-source Ice has around 29.8k GitHub stars), and notched MacBooks have less room. If the app only works when its icon is visible, offer a keyboard shortcut and handle being hidden.
Posting more than once per 30 days, skipping disclosure or ignoring the required format gets posts removed. Apps without a Mac App Store listing or a public track record belong in the App Pile megathread.
Gatekeeper warnings on first launch kill trust with exactly the users who would recommend you. Notarize every direct build. Homebrew also rejects casks that need Gatekeeper bypassed.
Homebrew Cask has notability thresholds, which are higher for self-submissions, and normally rejects repos under 30 days old. Build a track record first.
MacMenuBar only accepts apps where the menu bar is central. If the icon is just a shortcut to a window, it will be turned down.
07 · WHAT OUTPOST DOES
Prepares MacMenuBar, awesome-mac and MacUpdate listings written to each one's format, for you to submit, and keeps a receipt for each
Tracks the r/macapps 30-day self-promotion window and drafts posts in the required format with disclosure, for you to post
Lays out Homebrew Cask notability and Setapp's curation rules before you spend time applying
Drafts short, specific pitches for MacStories and the 9to5Mac tips line, for you to send
Publishes comparison and 'how to' pages for menu bar problems people search for, and tracks AI-assistant mentions for 'best mac menu bar apps'
Every action Outpost takes gets a receipt: the live URL, a timestamp and what it drove, or “nothing yet”.See how receipts work
08 · QUESTIONS
Its submission page doesn't say. It does say it reviews every app by hand and only accepts apps where the menu bar is central. Notch apps go to notch.macmenubar.com.
Many menu bar utilities ship both, or direct only, because sandboxing limits what some features can do. If you go direct, notarize. Outpost works with either.
Disclose that you built it, use the name, problem, comparison, pricing and link format, and post at most once per 30 days. Apps without a Mac App Store listing or public transparency go in the monthly App Pile thread.
If your app is mature and fills a gap in their catalog, it can bring in steady usage-based revenue. Setapp says it wants 'mature software with an excellent reputation' and limits membership to apps that fill category gaps.
Roundups and directories can send installs within weeks of acceptance. Your own pages for 'menu bar [job]' searches usually take months to rank and keep growing after that.
No. Every plan works at $0 extra spend. The directories in this plan are free or revenue-share, and Outpost marks any paid option as optional.
10 · EVIDENCE
Every fact on this page comes from one of these sources.
Menu-bar-only criteria, manual review, the separate notch site, and no stated fee
Menu bar managers hide items and help on notched MacBooks; about 29.8k stars
Notability thresholds, the repo-age rule, and the Gatekeeper requirement (registry); repos under 30 days old normally not eligible
Maturity requirement, category-gap rule, and revenue share (registry)
PR format and multi-language README rule (registry)
App pick in nearly every issue since 2015 (registry)
Gatekeeper checks notarization for apps distributed outside the Mac App Store
Self-promotion at most once per 30 days, disclosure and required post format; App Pile megathread for apps without a public track record (per Outpost registry review)
Last reviewed . Search volume: DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026.
FREE WEBSITE AUDIT
Paste your website. Outpost reads it, scores your visibility, finds your competitors and shows the first fixes, free. Then the playbook above becomes your own campaign, measured in downloads.
See plans and pricing