Crest vs TopNotch: hide 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 | TopNotch | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does with the notch | Hangs a panel from it | Blends it into your wallpaper |
| Media controls | Now Playing with lyrics and the queue | Not what it is for |
| Calendar, todos, stats, clipboard | All of it, as widgets | None |
Why Crest is better
- The notch gives something back. Instead of hiding it, Crest fills it with what is playing, your next meeting, todos 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. Every Crest feature is yours for 7 days from first open, no account or 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
That black cutout at the top of your MacBook screen bugs a lot of people, and there are two ways to make peace with it. TopNotch, a free app, makes the notch disappear into your wallpaper. Crest makes it earn its space by hanging a working control panel from it. Here is what each one actually does, and why running both is a real answer.
Last updated: July 2026
Full disclosure: this page is published by the makers of Crest. TopNotch is a well made free app from the CleanShot team and we have described it from its own website rather than from memory, so this is useful whichever way you go.
The short version
Get Crest if you would rather the notch earned its space, in a native Mac app that stays light on battery: what is playing, the meeting you are about to be late for, 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. One glance up, no window.
Where TopNotch stops. TopNotch hides the notch and does nothing else. There is no media, calendar, todos, stats, clipboard, password manager or two-factor codes. If you already use it, keep it: the two do not fight over the same pixels.
Side by side
The comparison table is at the top of this page.
Where Crest is better
- It gives you something back. The notch is the one part of the screen your eyes already know how to find. Crest puts what is playing, your next meeting, your todos, CPU, battery, and your clipboard history there, so you stop opening windows to check things.
- It answers Claude Code. When an agent asks permission, the request pins to the notch until you allow or deny it, on whatever display you are looking at. No other notch app does this.
- It has a 7-day trial. You get Now Playing, the file shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping, so you only pay if it earns it.
- It behaves on battery. Decorative animations stop in Low Power Mode, and its monitors stand down while your Mac sleeps.
Why you can run both
Two notch apps usually collide, because both want to own the same strip. This pair does not. TopNotch changes how your wallpaper meets the menu bar, which is a wallpaper job. Crest hangs a panel below the notch when you reach for it, which is a panel job. Nothing about either one needs the other to stop.
We like that combination a lot: the notch disappears while you write, and turns into a control room when you go looking for it.
The pricing math
Crest Pro is $14.99 once, after a 7-day trial of everything with no card. For that you get what no wallpaper trick can give you: Passwords with Touch ID, your two-factor codes typed in for you, Claude Code approvals, Drop for encrypted files and 22 widgets. You never need a subscription for Crest: you pay once.
FAQ
Is TopNotch free?
Yes. It is a free download from MTW, the team behind CleanShot, and it needs macOS 11.0 or newer.
What is the difference between TopNotch and Crest?
TopNotch conceals the notch by adapting your wallpaper. Crest hangs a control panel from it. One removes the notch from your attention, the other makes it worth your attention.
Can I run TopNotch and Crest at the same time?
Yes. They touch different things: TopNotch works on the wallpaper, Crest works below the notch.
Is there a free way to use Crest?
No, but you get all of it free for 7 days first. Crest is free to download, and there is a 7-day trial of everything with no card. After that the Pro features pause until you buy Crest, and Crest Pro is $14.99 once.
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
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