Hacker ApprovedDepartments

boringBar

Dock replacement in Productivity & writing

Recommended for replacing the macOS Dock with a taskbar-style bar that tracks windows and Spaces cleanly. Common caveat: the subscription price, which many find too high for a utility.

Recommended for replacing the macOS Dock with a taskbar-style bar that tracks windows and Spaces cleanly. Common caveat: the subscription price, which many find too high for a utility.

114 people gave an opinion

recommend it
62
criticize it
52
approval share
54%
Each figure is one person. RecommendsCriticizes

Recommended in 2 of 13 months

  1. November 2025: not recommended
  2. December 2025: not recommended
  3. January 2026: not recommended
  4. February 2026: not recommended
  5. March 2026: not recommended
  6. April 2026: recommended
  7. May 2026: not recommended
  8. June 2026: recommended
  9. July 2026: not recommended
  10. August 2026: not recommended
  11. September 2026: not recommended
  12. October 2026: not recommended
  13. November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)

Why it doesn’t carry the badge

  • 62 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
  • 1.1 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
  • Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.

The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works

What people say about it

The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.

Why people recommend it

Each mark is one comment

  • People say they will buy it

    “I‘d be happy to pay for an upgrade if future macOS changes break the functionality of this - cool - app”

    Comment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “I'll buy it just to support this move. (Though it should be $20.)”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “I really like this project and just bought a copy for myself.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”
  • Polished, clean design

    “It feels polished and feature-full, but like others commented, I'm not seeing myself paying for this.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “I Appreciate the little design touches and thought that is on display in this app.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “Looks really cool. just downloaded it will definately give it a try. nice UI btw”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”
  • Frees Dock space, clarifies windows

    “I just want to offload the which-window-is-where tracking to some other app - in this case boringBar.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “It frees up real estate taken up by the Dock and makes it much easier to figure out what goes where.”

    Comment from 2 Jun 2026 in “macOS Needs Its Grid Back”
  • Shows windows per Space clearly

    “boringBar addressing the "show me what is in this Space" problem is exactly right.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “it's present on all spaces and it only shows windows on that space”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

What people warn about

Each mark is one comment

  • Subscription pricing feels too high

    “Looks great but even $40 for a perpetual license with only two years of updates still seems excessive.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “Pricing the app even at a higher range ($40-50), one—time payment makes way more sense.”

    Comment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “a subscription to a taskbar is just not something I (or many I imagine) can justify”

    Comment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”
  • Minimizes windows when switching apps

    “That's a tiny papercut. Minimizing windows is a form of window management and everything got reset.”

    Comment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “I wish it would not minimize applications when switching”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”
  • Needs server; contacts many domains

    “I'm having hard time accepting that I shouldn't be able to run something I'm about to purchase if YOUR server is down”

    Comment from 14 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “Why does it need to talk to facebook.com, ntp.org, aws.com, cloudflare.com, google.com, and windows.com?”

    Comment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”
  • Missing autohide and vertical layout

    “it's matches your criteria except that it doesn't have an option to go vertical”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

    “Something that would make this perfect for me would be autohide on the bar.”

    Comment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

What people said

40 of the 135 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.

“It frees up real estate taken up by the Dock and makes it much easier to figure out what goes where.”

RecommendsComment from 2 Jun 2026 in “macOS Needs Its Grid Back”

“I'm having hard time accepting that I shouldn't be able to run something I'm about to purchase if YOUR server is down”

CriticizesComment from 14 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Already started trial and loving it so far but there's one annoying bug/QoL improvement.”

MixedComment from 14 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“this one looks good. will gibe it a few days and then buy”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I think it's a great idea. I have been a gamer for the last 20+ years, and I work on Mac for development.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“it's matches your criteria except that it doesn't have an option to go vertical”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Looks really cool. just downloaded it will definately give it a try. nice UI btw”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Two minor irritations I thought it would help with, but it didn't”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Great idea. But, I'm will to wait for the AI sloppified OSS version of this.”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“$10/year as you have it is already cheap considering I'll end up using it every day”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I wish it would not minimize applications when switching”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“It feels polished and feature-full, but like others commented, I'm not seeing myself paying for this.”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I really like this project and just bought a copy for myself.”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I just want to offload the which-window-is-where tracking to some other app - in this case boringBar.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“it's present on all spaces and it only shows windows on that space”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“boringBar addressing the "show me what is in this Space" problem is exactly right.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Limiting to 6 apps and keeping it taskbar-style is a deliberate constraint that I appreciate.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I Appreciate the little design touches and thought that is on display in this app.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“boringBar is notarized by Apple and will work well with Gatekeeper if that makes it any better.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I'll buy it just to support this move. (Though it should be $20.)”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Looks great but even $40 for a perpetual license with only two years of updates still seems excessive.”

MixedComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Something that would make this perfect for me would be autohide on the bar.”

RecommendsComment from 13 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I'm not paying $40 for a taskbar replacement. And not for two years of updates and a two device limit on top.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“with my background photo it cashes out to an illegible black on black”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Why does it need to talk to facebook.com, ntp.org, aws.com, cloudflare.com, google.com, and windows.com?”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“The subscription is a tell sign of an egoisticBar. A real boringBar wouldn't do that to its users.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“the general feeling I and others have is subscription fatigue”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Fantastic work, but ubar is going to eat your lunch with that subscription”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Subscriptions for apps that require absolutely no infrastructure to run make absolutely no sense to me.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“That's a tiny papercut. Minimizing windows is a form of window management and everything got reset.”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I prefer the design on yours based on a quick look through the page.”

RecommendsComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“a lifetime license for 10 years' worth of the subscription, which you may no longer even support by then”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I‘d be happy to pay for an upgrade if future macOS changes break the functionality of this - cool - app”

RecommendsComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Monthly fee? For what exactly? There is no recurring cost like server space or anything else.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Subscription on something like this is goofy, and extra subscription per seat even for personal is goofier.”

CriticizesComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“it looks great, looks clean, seems like people want it.”

RecommendsComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“a subscription to a taskbar is just not something I (or many I imagine) can justify”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“I really like boringBar but can’t justify a subscription”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“A subscription for a menu bar, though, kills it for me.”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

“Pricing the app even at a higher range ($40-50), one—time payment makes way more sense.”

MixedComment from 12 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: boringBar – a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS”

Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.