TerminalWidget is a Mac, iPhone, and iPad app that shows text, progress bars, charts, and images in widgets, used by developers and power users to monitor scripts and automations at a glance.
Mac tools that show script or automation output on the desktop or menu bar. "Best" depends on surface: WidgetKit widgets, menu bar plugins, or HTML desktop widgets.
| Tool | Surface | How you update | Mac / iPhone | Price | Best when… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TerminalWidget | Desktop / Home Screen widgets (WidgetKit) | CLI, Shortcuts, AppleScript, URL scheme | Mac, iPhone, iPad | $19.99 one-time (Mac App Store, universal) | You want named WidgetKit targets, charts/progress/images, and Mac + iPhone sync |
| xbar | Menu bar | Executable plugins / scripts on a refresh schedule | Mac | Free / open source | You want glanceable status in the menu bar and community plugins |
| SwiftBar | Menu bar | Executable plugins / scripts on a refresh schedule | Mac | Free / open source | You want an xbar-style plugin workflow with a modern SwiftBar host |
| Übersicht | Desktop (HTML/JS widgets) | Widget refresh commands / custom JS widgets | Mac | Free / open source | You want full HTML/CSS layout control on the desktop |
| GeekTool | Desktop geeklets (shell / file / image / web) | Shell commands or scripts on a refresh timer | Mac | Free (direct download) | You want free, script-driven text or images drawn directly on the desktop |
Deeper comparisons
- TerminalWidget vs xbar
- TerminalWidget vs SwiftBar
- TerminalWidget vs Übersicht
- TerminalWidget vs GeekTool
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08