Crest vs Notchmeister: decorate the notch, or use it?
By the makers of Crest · updated July 2026 · full disclosure
macOS 14 or later. Open Crest for 7 free days, no account or card.
| Crest | Notchmeister | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does with the notch | Hangs a control panel from it | Decorates it with effects |
| Runs all the time | It is a working panel | It appears when you move the cursor to the notch |
| Media, calendar, todos, stats, clipboard | ||
| Agent approvals | Allow or Deny a Claude Code prompt |
Why Crest is better
- The notch gets a job. It shows what is playing, your next meeting, todos, system stats and your clipboard.
- It answers Claude Code. Permission prompts stay pinned to the notch until you allow or deny them.
- A week to try all of it. Now Playing, the file shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping are yours for 7 days, with no card.
- It behaves on battery. It is a native Mac app: animations rest in Low Power Mode and the panel sleeps with your Mac.
Full comparison and details
The notch eats a chunk of your screen and gives nothing back, so it is natural to want it to do something. Notchmeister, a free toy from the Iconfactory, makes it fun with a glow, a Cylon eye, holiday lights or a little radar. Crest makes it useful by hanging a working control panel from it. They are not really rivals, and you can keep both.
Last updated: July 2026
Full disclosure: this page is published by the makers of Crest. Notchmeister's prices and limits below are taken from Notchmeister's own pages, checked in July 2026.
The short version
Pick Crest if you are tired of opening windows to check things that could live in the notch instead: what is playing, your next meeting, your todos, CPU and battery, your clipboard, Passwords with Touch ID, the Authenticator (your two-factor codes, typed in for you), Drop for encrypted files, and Claude Code asking permission. We built Crest as a native Mac app that stays light on battery, so the notch can do real work all day.
Where Notchmeister stops. Notchmeister decorates the notch and does nothing else. There is no media, calendar, todos, stats, clipboard, password manager, two-factor codes or agent approvals, and effects are all you get for free.
Side by side
The comparison table is at the top of this page.
Where Crest is better
- It gives the notch a job. The notch is the one part of the screen your eyes already know how to find, so Crest fills it with what is playing, the meeting you are about to miss, your todos, system stats and your clipboard history.
- It answers Claude Code. Permission prompts from your agents pin to the notch until you allow or deny them, on whichever display you are looking at.
- Its trial is the whole app. Now Playing, the file shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping are all in the 7-day trial and in every paid plan. After the trial, the Pro features pause until you buy Crest, and Now Playing, the file shelf and the clipboard keep working.
- It behaves on battery. Decorative animations stop in Low Power Mode, and its monitors stand down while your Mac sleeps.
The pricing math
Crest Pro is $14.99 once, and you get 7 days of everything first with no card.
For that you get everything Notchmeister never does: music, your next meeting, todos, system stats, your clipboard, Passwords with Touch ID, your two-factor codes typed in for you, Drop for encrypted files and Claude Code approvals. You never need a subscription for Crest: you pay once.
Can you keep both?
Mostly, yes, and plenty of people will want to. Notchmeister lights up when your cursor visits the notch, and Crest opens a panel when you reach for it. They both react to the same corner of the screen, so expect the occasional overlap, but neither one breaks the other and you can turn either off in a click.
FAQ
Is Notchmeister free?
Yes. It is a free download on the Mac App Store from the Iconfactory.
What does Notchmeister actually do?
It decorates the notch with effects: a glow that follows your cursor, a Cylon eye, festive lights and a small radar, among others. It is a toy, and decoration is all it does.
Can I run both?
Mostly. Both react to the cursor arriving at the notch, so they may occasionally overlap, but neither breaks the other.
Is there a free way to use Crest?
Partly. Crest is free to download, Now Playing, the file shelf, the clipboard and receiving files with Drop stay free, and there is a 7-day trial of everything with no card. After that the Pro features pause until you buy Crest. Crest is $14.99 once, on 2 Macs.
Want the notch to do something?
Music, the next meeting, todos, system stats, your clipboard and Claude Code approvals, one glance up. Try all of it free for 7 days, no card.
Download Crest for macOS Buy Crest, $14.99macOS 14 or later · Universal (Apple Silicon & Intel) · 7-day Pro trial, no card up front
More comparisons: Best Mac notch apps in 2026 · vs NotchNook · vs The Boring Notch · vs TopNotch · vs Perch · vs Alcove · vs MediaMate · vs Droppy · Notch apps for AI agents · MediaMate vs Alcove · Notch app prices · vs Vibe Island · Music in the notch · File shelf apps · Clipboard history · Snap windows · Are notch apps safe? · Several Claude Code sessions · Calendar in the menu bar · Weather in the menu bar · Pomodoro timer · Claude Code vs Codex · Crest overview