MacNotch
MacNotch vs NotchNook
Two notch productivity hubs, two dollars apart, with genuinely different priorities. NotchNook is the established one and does some things better than we do. Here is the comparison we would want to read if we were the ones choosing.
Bias disclosure: we make MacNotch. A comparison page written by one of the two apps is worth exactly as much as its willingness to lose an argument, so we have listed every category where NotchNook wins and left them at the top rather than buried at the bottom. Everything factual here is checkable on lo.cafe.
The short version
Choose NotchNook if you want the app with the longest track record, you automate your Mac with Shortcuts, or you need to cover four or more Macs with a single one-time purchase.
Choose MacNotch if you want one app to replace several menu bar utilities, you want your calendar, tasks, notes, Screen Time, and devices in one place, you are a developer who wants pull requests and coding agents visible at a glance, or you want the app in a language other than English.
Choose neither if all you want is a beautiful media strip. Alcove costs 14.99 dollars and does that better than either of us. We cover the whole field in our roundup of every Mac notch app.
Where NotchNook is the better buy
Starting here, because these are real and they matter more than a feature count.
- Track record. lo.cafe effectively created this category and NotchNook is on version 1.6.2 after years of iteration. MacNotch is newer. If you want the app most likely to still be maintained in three years, history is evidence and we do not have as much of it.
- Five Macs on one purchase. The NotchNook one-time licence activates on 5 devices. MacNotch covers 3. If you run four or more Macs, NotchNook is straightforwardly cheaper per Mac.
- Shortcuts. NotchNook has a dedicated Shortcuts widget for running your own automations from the notch. If your workflow is built on Shortcuts, that is a strong reason to pick it.
- The mature file shelf. Both apps have a shelf and AirDrop sending. NotchNook's has had far more time in front of users, and it shows.
- Personality. Custom GIFs in the notch, and a design voice that people genuinely enjoy. Nothing in MacNotch is trying to be that.
- Refund window. 15 days against our 14. A day, but it is theirs.
Where MacNotch does more
- Screen Time analytics. Frontmost-app tracking with category charts, ranked apps, and insights, in the notch. Not in NotchNook's feature list.
- Code hosting review queues. Open pull requests and merge requests from GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, with a review queue.
- AI coding agents. Live Claude Code and Cursor Agent sessions with status, Allow and Deny prompts, and a remote control server. Currently Beta, and no other notch app has anything comparable.
- Notifications with replies. Notifications gathered in the notch with inline reply, voice reply, emoji, and voice messages for iMessage.
- Translation. Selected text translated through OpenAI, a local Ollama model, or Apple Translate.
- Window snap zones. Drag a window to the top of the screen for halves, thirds, quarters, maximize, or custom zones, across monitors. That is a separate paid app for many people.
- Sync instead of silos. Tasks sync with Apple Reminders and notes sync with Apple Notes, in beta. NotchNook's notes stay local.
- Day progress timeline. Events, reminders, tasks, and a bedtime marker on one timeline for today.
- Profile-based dashboards. Widget grids as Quick, Work, Personal, or Focus profiles that switch on a schedule or follow a macOS Focus filter.
- 11 languages. English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese.
- macOS 14.0 instead of 14.6. If you are held back on an older Sonoma point release, NotchNook will not install and MacNotch will.
- Two dollars less, and a trial with no sign-up. 22.99 against 25, and the 14-day trial needs no account or card.
Where the two are basically the same
Worth saying plainly, because a lot of comparison pages manufacture differences here.
- Both work on Macs without a physical notch, and both support external and multiple displays. NotchNook draws a simulated notch shape on notchless screens; MacNotch shows a bar you can toggle per display. That is a taste difference, not a capability gap.
- Both are native Swift apps, not web wrappers.
- Both are on Setapp, so if you already subscribe, trying both costs nothing.
- Both offer media controls, calendar, a file shelf, timers, HUD replacement, and a camera mirror.
- Both are heavily configurable, and both can be trimmed down to almost nothing if you prefer a quiet notch.
- Both sell a one-time licence and a monthly subscription at similar prices.
Side by side
| MacNotch | NotchNook | |
|---|---|---|
| One-time price | $22.99, 3 Macs | $25, 5 Macs |
| Subscription | $3.99/mo, 3 Macs | $3/mo, 2 Macs |
| Setapp | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | 14 days, no sign-up or card | Free trial |
| Refund window | 14 days | 15 days |
| Minimum macOS | 14.0 | 14.6 |
| Works without a notch | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple displays | Yes, per display | Yes |
| Media controls | Yes, 12+ players | Yes |
| Calendar and reminders | Yes | Yes |
| File shelf and AirDrop | Yes | Yes, more mature |
| Timers | Pomodoro with focus targets | Yes |
| Shortcuts widget | Yes | Yes, the stronger implementation |
| Notes | Apple Notes sync (Beta) | Local only |
| Tasks | Apple Reminders sync | To-do widget |
| Notifications with reply | Yes, text and voice | Not listed |
| Bluetooth device battery | Yes | Not listed |
| System monitor | CPU, RAM, network, disk, battery | Not listed |
| Screen Time analytics | Yes | Not listed |
| Day progress timeline | Yes | Not listed |
| Window snap zones | Yes | Not listed |
| Pull request review | GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket | Not listed |
| AI coding agents | Claude Code, Cursor (Beta) | Not listed |
| Translation | OpenAI, Ollama, Apple | Not listed |
| Clipboard history | No | Not listed |
| Lock Screen widgets | No | Not listed |
| Custom GIFs in the notch | No | Yes |
| Interface languages | 11 | English |
| Years on the market | Newer | The original |
The real difference is philosophy
NotchNook treats the notch as a place for a small number of well-made widgets. Open it, use the shelf, glance at the calendar, close it. The restraint is deliberate and it is why the app feels coherent.
MacNotch treats the top of the screen as a place to consolidate. The bet is that you are already running a menu bar app for Bluetooth batteries, another for window tiling, another for timers, and another for a scratchpad, and that one configurable surface is better than five icons. That bet has a cost: more settings, more permissions, and more to learn on day one. If you like a Mac that does one thing at a time, NotchNook will feel better designed to you, and that is a legitimate preference rather than a mistake.
Which should you install first?
If you subscribe to Setapp, install both this afternoon and delete one. If you do not, start with whichever list above described your week more accurately. MacNotch's trial is 14 days with no account, so the only cost of trying is the download, and if it is not for you the roundup covers the other nine options.
Frequently asked questions
Is MacNotch or NotchNook better?
NotchNook is more established, has Shortcuts integration, and covers five Macs on a one-time licence. MacNotch covers more ground, with Screen Time analytics, pull request review, AI coding agent monitoring, window snap zones, and 11 languages. Pick NotchNook for maturity, MacNotch for breadth.
How do the prices compare?
MacNotch is $22.99 once for 3 Macs, or $3.99 per month. NotchNook is $25 once for 5 Macs, or $3 per month for 2. Both are included with Setapp. If you need more than three Macs, NotchNook is the cheaper option overall.
Do both work on a Mac without a notch?
Yes, and both support multiple displays. NotchNook renders a simulated notch on notchless screens, which some people find jarring on an external monitor. MacNotch shows a bar you can enable or disable per display.
Can I try them before paying?
Yes. MacNotch has a 14-day trial with every feature unlocked and no sign-up or credit card, plus a 14-day refund. NotchNook has a free trial and a 15-day refund window. Both are also on Setapp.
What does NotchNook do better?
Shortcuts automation, custom GIFs, a more mature file shelf, five device activations on the one-time licence, and years more development history.
What does MacNotch do that NotchNook does not?
Screen Time analytics, pull request queues for GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, AI coding agent monitoring, LLM translation, notifications with inline and voice reply, window snap zones, a day progress timeline, Apple Notes and Reminders sync, and 11 interface languages. It also runs on macOS 14.0 rather than requiring 14.6.
Can I run both at the same time?
Technically yes, practically no. They compete for the same screen region and the same hover events, so you get flicker and duplicated interfaces. Quit one before evaluating the other.
About the author
This comparison is published by the MacNotch team. The fairest way to choose is still a side-by-side trial: MacNotch unlocks every module for 14 days with no sign-up or card.