uBar alternatives
uBar vs Mac Taskbar
The Inndevs Mac Taskbar and uBar are both Windows-style taskbars for macOS. The biggest difference is which Macs they run on: the Inndevs Mac Taskbar requires macOS 13.5 or later and is designed around the Liquid Glass look of macOS 26, while uBar runs on everything from macOS 10.13 High Sierra through macOS Tahoe. This page is part of our uBar alternatives guide.
What the Inndevs Mac Taskbar is
The Inndevs Mac Taskbar is a Windows-style taskbar for macOS 13.5 through 26.5, at version 2.4 as of 25 August 2026. It comes in Liquid Glass and Classic styles, supports up to four rows per display with separate settings for each display, and can run in a vertical layout. You can pin apps and folders, and windows from the same app combine into a single tile. It shows Dock badge indicators, has media controls in the bar, follows Spaces, works across multiple monitors, and treats Chrome and Chromium web-app windows as their own tiles. A license is $9.90 one-time with lifetime updates.
Things the Inndevs Mac Taskbar does that uBar does not: a Liquid Glass style for macOS 26, tiles for Chrome web-app windows, media controls in the bar, where uBar shows track progress on the app’s tile, and a lower price.
What uBar is
uBar is a Dock replacement and taskbar for the Mac, in development since 2009 and at version 4.2.4 as of 2 September 2026. It runs on macOS 10.13 through Tahoe as a Universal binary, native on Apple Silicon since 4.1.7. In taskbar mode each window gets a labeled tile, with grouping set to Always, Never or Automatic, previews on hover, badges, App Activity, drag-and-drop and up to five rows. In dock mode it behaves like a dock. Every monitor gets its own bar, or the same bar in Mirror mode, on any edge, pinned or floating. Themes, sizes, timepieces and icon overrides are covered in the documentation. It costs $30 personal or $50 commercial, one-time, after a 14-day trial.
Side by side
| Feature | uBar | Inndevs Mac Taskbar |
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| Window previews | Yes, on hover. | No hover thumbnails. Combined tiles open a list of the app’s windows. |
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| Window grouping | Always, Never or Automatic. | Combined tiles. |
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| Multi-row | Up to five rows. Drag the edge of the bar to resize. | Up to four rows per display. |
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| Per-display configuration | A bar on every monitor showing that monitor’s windows, or Mirror mode. One set of settings applies to every bar. | Per-display settings, including a separate row count for each display. |
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| Dock badges | Yes. Large red badges on the tile, or in tooltips. | Yes. Dock badge indicators. |
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| Chrome web-app windows | No dedicated handling. A Chrome web app that macOS runs as its own app gets its own tile, like any other app. | Yes. Chrome and Chromium web-app windows get their own tiles. |
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| Liquid Glass | No dedicated Liquid Glass style. Themes: System, Light, Dark, Platinum Neue, Now Playing, Custom. | Yes. Liquid Glass and Classic styles. |
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| Dock mode | Yes. One click on Dock Defaults switches the layout. | No. It is a taskbar only. |
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| Minimum macOS | 10.13 High Sierra, through macOS Tahoe. | 13.5 Ventura, through 26.5. |
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| Last release | 4.2.4, 2 September 2026. | 2.4, 25 August 2026. |
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| Price | $30 personal (two Macs) or $50 commercial, one-time, after a 14-day trial. | $9.90 one-time with lifetime updates. Runs without a license, with purchase reminders. |
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The two hard constraints are the macOS minimum and the look. If any of your Macs is on a release before 13.5, the Inndevs Mac Taskbar is not an option for it. If you are on macOS 26 and want the bar to match Liquid Glass, uBar does not have that style. The rest is a matter of preference, and a few days with uBar’s 14-day trial will tell you more about the fit than any feature list.
Choose the Inndevs Mac Taskbar if…
- You are on macOS 26 and want a bar that matches Liquid Glass.
- You run web apps from Chrome or another Chromium browser and want their windows treated as separate tiles.
- You want media controls in the bar itself, not just track progress.
- You want the lower price: $9.90 one-time.
Choose uBar if…
- You have a Mac that is older than macOS 13.5, or several Macs on different macOS versions. uBar covers 10.13 through Tahoe with one app.
- You want a dock layout as an option, not just a taskbar.
- You want hover previews, a fifth row, Mirror mode, timepieces or a Platinum-era theme.
- You need a commercial license for work Macs.
Frequently asked
Which macOS versions do uBar and the Inndevs Mac Taskbar support?
uBar runs on macOS 10.13 High Sierra through macOS Tahoe. Inndevs Mac Taskbar 2.4 requires macOS 13.5 or later, up to 26.5.
Does either app have a Liquid Glass look?
The Inndevs Mac Taskbar offers Liquid Glass and Classic styles. uBar has System, Light, Dark, Platinum Neue, Now Playing and Custom themes; the System theme follows your macOS appearance, but there is no dedicated Liquid Glass theme.
Is the Inndevs Mac Taskbar a one-time purchase?
Yes. The Inndevs Mac Taskbar is $9.90 one-time with lifetime updates, and it keeps running without a license, with purchase reminders. uBar is a one-time purchase of $30 for a personal license or $50 for a commercial license, after a 14-day trial.
Bring your taskbar with you.
14-day free trial. One-time purchase of $30. No subscription.
