Both. The front end, when it’s running, puts an icon in the status bar. When it’s not, it doesn’t. The background authentication process can run independently of the front end.
But it sounds like you have pretty specific tastes. At a certain point, it probably makes sense to download it for free and see for yourself if it bugs you or not?
A menu bar item only when you’re interacting with the installation/license manager sounds very reasonable. Thanks for indulging my OCD; you’ve convinced me to give it a try. 
Dumb question: Is it possible to download a demo of Roland Cloud instruments, or is the only way to try them with a subscription? I installed the Roland Cloud Manager app and there doesn’t seem to be any way to install a demo like in other license/installation managers.
Good question
I’ve tried them before but that was with an account … probably heavily discounted .
I just looked and can’t see anything aimilar to download demo anywhere … there’s just a trolley / buy method . I don’t have a paid account atm … for some reason I have d-50 license … can’t remember ever buying it
It’s not the most intuitive interface
If you have not decided yet, my vote goes for Mono.Mono Audios Maya & Mono.One!
i bought lush 2 ages ago but havent used it as much as tal 101 / softube
the interface on d16 plugins is a little ‘full on’ , id have loved a ‘101’ interface with all the extras removed .
they have sales and demos available .
if you subscribe to softube mail list they have discounts too … i think i mightve paid $30 ish for their 101
I love the juno, 101, and minimoog sound.
I also think that mono mono did a fantastic job with Maya and Mono One.
That said, I’m fully in the MPC workflow at the moment and the Akai (Air) emulations of these three synths sound fantastic to me with a much better UI/GUI IMO than using the mono mono stuff on push. The paging is a little easier to navigate because it just looks so good.
As someone who has had a Juno 106 in the past as well as analog clones of the minimoog and 101 (I still have an Atlantix which is not quite a clone, but inspired by the 101), I must say that all these classic synths existing inside a groovebox with a good UI has been really great and inspiring.
If you have the plugins, they all run in “demo mode” whenever they’re not authorized. This mode periodically interrupts playback with noise, so you can get a sense for the sound but can’t really use them to record anything.
As for how to get the plugin in the first place, there’s probably some way to finagle a download out of RCM. I have a subscription, so everything always looks installable to me, but if you click on the “Software Instruments” tab and then “My Library” do any of the buttons there let you install something?
By far the easiest route is just to do the demo subscription. This is the way it works: https://support.roland.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407884850971-Roland-Cloud-How-does-a-Roland-Cloud-free-30-day-trial-of-Ultimate-work
Some Roland gear also comes with a 1–6 months of free Cloud access, so worth looking to see if there’s an offer in any of your old boxes.
Finally, if there’s some reason you can’t get the trial (like you already used it in the past or something), maybe it’s worth it to spend $10 to have access to a 101 and Juno to do whatever you want with for a month? That’s the nice thing about subs. You can walk way from them if you don’t like them.
if you do get them installed in demo mode… you only need them on a few minutes to use auto sample on tonverk … lots of very usable multi sampling to be had from the demos .
Has anyone tried the new (?) and free (!) Morphoice EightySix, modelling the Juno 6?
… and Linux 
no! will try it out
wow, thanks for heads-up!
and btw, yesterday was a release day for yet another Juno-60 emulation on iOS called Jynth:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/jynth-physics-analog-synth/id6761420030
its raining junos!