# swiftbar/SwiftBar

Powerful macOS menu bar customization tool

Repository: https://github.com/swiftbar/SwiftBar
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/swiftbar
Homepage: https://swiftbar.app
Language: Swift
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: productivity, macos, scripting
Last push: 2026-08-15T19:09:01+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 86/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 97, release rhythm 65, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2138, "days_push": 18, "days_rel": 22, "gap_med": 264.0, "n_releases_24m": 3}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4469, forks 134 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:50.886955+00:00)

## What it is
SwiftBar is a macOS application that lets users create custom menu bar items using simple executable shell scripts. It is compatible with the BitBar plugin ecosystem and includes a built-in plugin repository.

## Use cases
- show system stats like CPU or battery in the macOS menu bar
- display a countdown or clock in the menu bar
- run a script periodically and show its output in the menu bar
- monitor CI builds or GitHub notifications from the menu bar
- add custom dropdown menus with quick actions to the menu bar
- find and install community menu bar plugins

## When to choose
- you want scriptable, customizable menu bar items on macOS without writing Swift
- you want to reuse existing BitBar plugins
- you prefer a free, open-source alternative to paid menu bar tools

## When to avoid
- you need menu bar customization on Linux or Windows
- you want a GUI-only tool with no scripting
- you need to run on macOS versions older than Monterey (12)

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: developer-tools, workflow-automation, cli, plugin-system
- domain: developer-tools, operating-systems
- platform: -
- tags: menu-bar, macos-menubar, shell-script-plugins, bitbar-compatible, status-bar, automation, macos, desktop

## Member repositories
- swiftbar/SwiftBar (main) score 86

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:50.886955+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:20:37.300598+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/swiftbar/SwiftBar (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:50.886955+00:00, sha d8532cb1e22a)
  - homepage: https://swiftbar.app (fetched 2026-08-29T09:07:08.819278+00:00, sha ca7b643f8cf0)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.