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.
xbar: Free open-source macOS app that shows script output in the menu bar (BitBar successor), with a large plugin ecosystem.
| Feature | TerminalWidget | xbar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 one-time (App Store) | Free / open source |
| Desktop widgets (WidgetKit) | Yes | No |
| Menu bar plugins | No | Yes (core focus) |
| iPhone / iPad widgets | Yes (iCloud sync) | No |
| Update via CLI / shell | Yes (terminal-widget CLI) | Yes (plugin scripts) |
| Shortcuts / URL scheme | Yes | No (script-driven) |
| iCloud sync across devices | Yes (optional) | No |
| Charts / progress / images | Built-in modes | Text / menu (custom if you draw it) |
| App Store distribution | Yes | No (direct / Homebrew) |
| Custom HTML/CSS UI | No | Limited (menu) |
| Plugin / community ecosystem | Recipes + docs samples | Large plugin browser |
Choose TerminalWidget if…
- You want WidgetKit widgets on the Mac desktop and iPhone/iPad Home Screen
- You update from CLI, Shortcuts, AppleScript, or a URL scheme
- You need progress bars, charts, tables, or images—not only plain text
- You want the same target to sync over iCloud
Choose xbar if…
- You primarily want menu bar output, not Desktop widgets
- You want a free open-source tool with hundreds of community plugins
- You are fine staying on Mac only (no iPhone widget sync)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08