boringBar
Productivity
window management
SHOW HN2026
520points
308comments
#48of 4,366 in 2026
Top 2%of 2026 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
28 positive, 51 neutral or asking, 23 mixed, 79 critical, out of 181 comments about the project. Thread score -0.29.
Pricing: 6 for, 51 againstDesign: 8 for, 8 againstIdea: 4 for, 7 againstExecution: 5 for, 6 againstPrivacy: 0 for, 2 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Clean, subtle design that looks Mac-like
From 2 comments
Wow, this looks very clean. I'm not the target audience, but if I was looking for a tool in this category, this would be highly attractive to me. Very subtle design that isn't…
alsetmusic on HNWhile I don't use a Mac as my primary anymore, I'm surprised I like the look of this! It actually looks quite Mac-like as well. Subscription is a big nope here, though.…
SyneRyder on HN
More reliable than uBar and Taskbar with multi-monitor and sleep/wake
From 2 comments
I have some existing issues with uBar that I have listed here - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47746812. All in all it does not seem like a polished app to me. I tried…
a-ve on HNI tried Sidebar, uBar - all of them. All of them have the same set of issues that they don't take care of windows that are being maximized (they end up behind the bar) and they…
a-ve on HN
Objections
Subscription pricing is a deal-breaker for many commenters
From 3 comments
I am the target audience for this, from a UX and tech perspective. It addresses a problem I have and for which I periodically audition solutions. A subscription for a menu bar,…
sonofhans on HNWhile I don't use a Mac as my primary anymore, I'm surprised I like the look of this! It actually looks quite Mac-like as well. Subscription is a big nope here, though.…
SyneRyder on HNLooks great. Subscription? Big ol nope.
temp0826 on HN
Thumbnails and hover are slow or hard to see on dark backgrounds
From 1 comment
Wow, this looks very clean. I'm not the target audience, but if I was looking for a tool in this category, this would be highly attractive to me. Very subtle design that isn't…
alsetmusic on HN
Price is high compared with alternatives like Sidebar and DockDoor
From 2 comments
IMO, this isn't priced competitively: * Mbar can be had for $15 on stacksocial * Sidebar is $21 w/ lifetime updates * DockDoor is free and OSS
villedespommes on HNLooks great but even $40 for a perpetual license with only two years of updates still seems excessive. Taskbar, Uber, etc. cost less and have unlimited updates. How is this better?
roger_ on HN
Requests
Drag and drop for pinned apps and launcher
From 2 comments
Hey! Thanks for checking it out. Regarding your feedback: - This has been said by another user as well. I am on a 4K monitor - if possible could you share a screenshot of how it…
a-ve on HNHey, thanks for purchasing it! I'll take a look into the app launcher issues that you are pointing out. The drag and drop feature will be implemented later this week in the bar…
a-ve on HN
Keyboard navigation for thumbnails
From 1 comment
Wow, this looks very clean. I'm not the target audience, but if I was looking for a tool in this category, this would be highly attractive to me. Very subtle design that isn't…
alsetmusic on HN
Named desktops/Spaces and thumbnails in the Space switcher
From 2 comments
Wow, this looks very clean. I'm not the target audience, but if I was looking for a tool in this category, this would be highly attractive to me. Very subtle design that isn't…
alsetmusic on HNHey! Thanks for checking it out. Regarding your feedback: - This has been said by another user as well. I am on a 4K monitor - if possible could you share a screenshot of how it…
a-ve on HN
Offline license activation
From 1 comment
Hey, thanks for purchasing it! I'll take a look into the app launcher issues that you are pointing out. The drag and drop feature will be implemented later this week in the bar…
a-ve on HN
Questions
Whether the bar works with other window managers like Amethyst
From 2 comments
I went through a similar transition and ended up with yabai + skhd for tiling. The Dock pain is real. One thing I'd love to see: integration with tiling WMs. Being able to see…
alykirk on HNTechnically it should - I tried using Amethyst with it for a few weeks before launch and it seemed to work fine for me.
a-ve on HN
Whether individual browser or terminal tabs can be previewed
From 1 comment
I reckon peeking into the individual iTerm/Brave/Chrome tabs would not be possible without disabling SIP. I need to research this a bit though.
a-ve on HN
Alternatives named
uBar
From 2 comments
I use uBar for this: https://ubarapp.com but this looks like a nice lightweight alternative!
mynameisvlad on HNLooks great but even $40 for a perpetual license with only two years of updates still seems excessive. Taskbar, Uber, etc. cost less and have unlimited updates. How is this better?
roger_ on HN
Sidebar
From 2 comments
IMO, this isn't priced competitively: * Mbar can be had for $15 on stacksocial * Sidebar is $21 w/ lifetime updates * DockDoor is free and OSS
villedespommes on HNI tried Sidebar, uBar - all of them. All of them have the same set of issues that they don't take care of windows that are being maximized (they end up behind the bar) and they…
a-ve on HN
Taskbar by Lawand
From 1 comment
I've already used these apps and they did not serve my purpose well. - I forced myself to use uBar but it has another level of jank that doesn't sit right with me - it is not…
a-ve on HN
DockDoor
From 1 comment
IMO, this isn't priced competitively: * Mbar can be had for $15 on stacksocial * Sidebar is $21 w/ lifetime updates * DockDoor is free and OSS
villedespommes on HN