The best NotchNook alternatives for Mac in 2026
NotchNook is the best known notch app, and a good one. People look past it for two reasons: they want to pay less or nothing, or they tried to buy it this month and its website would not load. Here are six alternatives, what each one costs, and when NotchNook is still the right buy.
Last updated: September 2026
Full disclosure: this page is published by the makers of Crest, one of the six. Prices were read off each app's own site on 13 September 2026. Where another app is the better pick for you, we say so, because a comparison nobody believes helps nobody.
Where NotchNook stands right now
Update, 13 September 2026: NotchNook's own website, lo.cafe, is not loading. It answers with a notice that the deployment is paused. The last working copy in the Internet Archive is from 20 August 2026. NotchNook is still listed on Setapp. We will update this page when that changes.
On that last working copy, NotchNook sold a $25 lifetime licence or a $3 monthly plan, needed macOS 14.6 or later, and offered a 15-day refund. It has a trial and no free tier, so when the trial ends you pay or you stop. For an app this polished that is fair, and it is also the main reason people look for alternatives.
When NotchNook is still the right buy
If you want the deepest customization in the category, colours, layouts and haptics, and you like its file tray and AirDrop drop zone, NotchNook is hard to beat. It holds 89% positive across 1,438 ratings on Setapp. If you already pay for Setapp, it costs you nothing extra and you can install it there today.
| Price | Free option | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crest | $19.99 once | Free tier, no account | A notch that does real work, including Claude Code approvals |
| NotchNook | $25 once or $3/mo | Trial only | The deepest customization, if you are happy to pay |
| The Boring Notch | Free | Free and open source | A capable free hub, if the Gatekeeper step does not bother you |
| Alcove | $14.99 once | No free tier | The cleanest Dynamic Island look |
| SuperIsland | Free | Free and open source | People who want to write their own modules |
| Notchy | Free | Free, donations welcome | A free notch app on macOS 13 Ventura |
| MediaMate | About $8 once | No | Better volume and brightness HUDs, and little else |
Crest Our pick$19.99 one-time · free tier
Crest treats the notch as a place to get work done. It opens into a panel of live tiles: your music with synced lyrics, the next meeting with a Join button, your todos, system stats, saved SSH hosts, and a Claude co-pilot that turns a sentence into a reminder or a calendar event once you approve it. Home, Work and Code modes each keep their own layout, and Auto switches between them based on what you are doing.
If you run Claude Code or Codex, Crest answers their permission prompts from the notch: Allow or Deny in one click, over fullscreen apps. NotchNook has nothing like it.
The free tier is a working app, not a countdown: Now Playing, the Shelf with clipboard history and window snapping, with no expiry and no account. Sign in when you want 7 days of Pro with no card. Crest Pro unlocks the rest for $19.99 once, on 2 Macs, with free updates, which is $5 less than NotchNook's lifetime licence.
Strengths: a free tier that stays free, signed and notarized, developer tools NotchNook does not have, and a small pill at the top of the screen on a Mac without a notch.
Watch-outs: less visual customization than NotchNook and a shorter track record.
Best for: anyone who wants more out of the notch than music and a tray, without a subscription. Compared in depth: Crest vs NotchNook
The Boring Notch Free · open source
The Boring Notch is the free alternative most people try first, and it earns that. It is open source under GPL-3.0 with around 10,700 stars on GitHub, runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, and covers music with a live visualizer, a file shelf with AirDrop, calendar, and replacement HUDs for volume, brightness and the keyboard backlight.
The catch is installing it. Its README says the team does not have an Apple Developer account yet, so macOS warns you that the app comes from an unidentified developer. You clear that once, with the Terminal command in the README or from Privacy & Security. It is a volunteer project, so check its issue tracker for how it behaves on your version of macOS.
Best for: a capable notch hub for $0, if the Gatekeeper step is fine by you. github.com/TheBoredTeam/boring.notch · Compared in depth: Crest vs The Boring Notch
Alcove $14.99 one-time
Alcove is the one to pick if what you liked about NotchNook was the look. It brings the iPhone's Dynamic Island to the notch with fluid transitions, notifications, live activities, swipe gestures, custom HUDs and Lock Screen widgets. Its site lists it at $14.99.
It stays close to that one idea and does not try to be a productivity hub, so it does less than NotchNook or Crest, on purpose.
Best for: the most Apple-like notch for the least money among the paid apps. tryalcove.com · Compared in depth: Crest vs Alcove
SuperIsland Free · open source
SuperIsland is free and open source, and its site says it works on any Mac. It covers Now Playing, battery status, the next meeting with a join link, weather, file drops, notifications and volume and brightness HUDs, and it has a JavaScript SDK for writing your own modules.
If you would rather build the widget you want than wait for someone to ship it, it is the most open option on this list.
Best for: tinkerers. dynamicisland.app
Notchy Free · donations
Notchy is free with no paid tier, with an optional Buy me a coffee link, and it runs on macOS 13 Ventura, older than most notch apps support. Its site lists music with lyrics, clipboard history, timers, AI usage and HUDs.
If your Mac is still on Ventura, it is the easiest free place to start.
Best for: a free notch app on an older macOS. notchy.dev
MediaMate About $8 one-time
MediaMate does one job. It replaces the macOS volume, brightness and keyboard backlight HUDs with cleaner ones and tucks Now Playing into the notch. It runs on any Mac on macOS 13 or later and sells on Gumroad for about $8.
If what bothered you about NotchNook was paying for a lot you never open, this is the opposite: no shelf, no calendar, no clipboard.
Best for: nicer system HUDs for the price of a sandwich. MediaMate · Compared in depth: Crest vs MediaMate
FAQ
Is NotchNook free?
No. NotchNook has a trial, then costs $25 for a lifetime licence or $3 a month, or comes with a Setapp membership. The free alternatives are The Boring Notch, SuperIsland and Notchy, and Crest has a free tier that never expires.
What happened to NotchNook's website?
On 13 September 2026, lo.cafe answered with a notice that its deployment is paused. The last working copy in the Internet Archive is from 20 August 2026. We do not know why, and we will update this answer when it changes. NotchNook is still listed on Setapp.
What is the best free NotchNook alternative?
For most people, The Boring Notch: it is free and open source and covers music, a file shelf, calendar and HUDs, but it is not notarized, so macOS warns you when you install it. Notchy is free and runs on macOS 13. If you want a notarized app with a free tier you can upgrade later, Crest's free tier covers Now Playing, the Shelf with clipboard history and window snapping, with no account.
Is NotchNook worth $25?
If you want the deepest customization and do not mind paying, yes. It holds 89% positive across 1,438 ratings on Setapp. If you want a notch that does more work for less, Crest Pro is $19.99 once, and you can use its free tier first.
What is cheaper than NotchNook?
Everything on this page. The Boring Notch, SuperIsland and Notchy are free, MediaMate is about $8, Alcove is $14.99 and Crest Pro is $19.99, each paid once.
Can I run two notch apps at the same time?
Not well, because they all draw in the same spot. Quit one before you try the next.
Try Crest free
Download it with no account. Now Playing, the Shelf with clipboard history and window snapping are free for good, and signing in gives you 7 days of Pro with no card. Pro is $19.99 once, on 2 Macs.
Download Crest for macOS Get Crest Pro, $19.99macOS 14 Sonoma or later · signed and notarized by Apple · 14-day refund, no reason needed
Keep reading: Best Mac notch apps in 2026 · vs NotchNook · vs The Boring Notch · vs Alcove · vs MediaMate · Dynamic Island for Mac · Facts and prices · Crest overview