Crest vs The Boring Notch: free vs free, honestly

The Boring Notch is the standout free, open-source Mac notch app. Crest is a paid app with a permanent free tier. The comparison most people expect is "$19.99 vs $0", but that's not quite how it works, because Crest's free tier covers most of the same ground. Here's the honest breakdown.

Last updated: July 2026

Full disclosure: this page is published by the makers of Crest. The Boring Notch is a genuinely good project and we've kept its side fair, including the things it does better.

Side by side

Where The Boring Notch is better

• Everything is free. Every feature, forever, no upsell. That's a real advantage and we won't pretend otherwise.
• Open source. GPL-3.0, auditable code, an active community, and a Homebrew install. If open source matters to you on principle, this is the one.
• The music visualizer. Its live audio visualizer is a signature touch that genuinely delights people.
• Extras Crest doesn't have. A camera mirror and a system HUD replacement (volume/brightness/backlight overlays), if those are on your list.

Where Crest is better

• It installs like a real Mac app. Crest is signed and notarized by Apple. The Boring Notch's own README explains that macOS will flag it as from an unidentified developer, and you have to bypass Gatekeeper (via Terminal or System Settings) to run it. That's fine for tinkerers, offputting for everyone else.
• The core is free here too. Now Playing with lyrics and the queue, a widget Dashboard, the file Shelf and Clipboard history cost nothing, forever. For most people that's the same daily ground The Boring Notch covers, without the security dance.
• A much deeper paid tier if you want it. $19.99 once adds 13 modules: Calendar with one-tap meeting join, Todo, Notes, Pomodoro, Day Progress, System stats, Screen Time, Bluetooth devices, an app Launcher, Translation, Quick AI, and the developer pair below.
• Developer modules nobody else has. GitHub pull requests and CI in the notch, plus live Claude Code and Cursor session monitoring that pings the notch when an AI agent needs your permission.
• Someone answers your email. Crest is one developer's full-time product with direct support. A volunteer project can be slower on fixes, and bug reports go into a public queue.

What we won't claim: that The Boring Notch is bad software. It's a lively project that keeps improving, and if you never leave its feature set you may never need Crest Pro. The honest pitch is simpler: Crest free matches the daily basics with a cleaner install, and Pro exists when you outgrow them.

The actual decision

Since both are free to run, this costs you nothing to settle: install one, live with it for a few days, then try the other (one at a time, they both own the notch). If you find yourself wanting tasks, meeting join buttons, screen time, or your pull requests up there, that's when the $19.99 question even appears. Download Crest free to start the test.

FAQ

Is The Boring Notch really free?

Yes, fully free and open source under GPL-3.0, with around 9.9k GitHub stars.

Why does macOS warn me when installing The Boring Notch?

The project has no Apple Developer account, so the app isn't notarized. macOS shows an "unidentified developer" warning you must bypass. Crest installs without warnings.

Do I have to pay for Crest?

No. Four modules are free forever. Pro ($19.99 once) is optional and unlocks the other 13.

Which is better for developers?

Crest: GitHub PRs and CI in the notch, plus live Claude Code and Cursor session alerts. The Boring Notch has no developer modules.

Can I run both together?

Not recommended; both take over the notch. Try them one at a time.

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