NotchBuddyNotchBuddy vs Alcove: which Mac notch app fits you
Alcove is the polished one: an iPhone-style Dynamic Island for music, the volume and brightness pop-ups and your calendar. NotchBuddy is the busy one: 19 tools, live sales alerts and a pet. Here's where they differ, using each app's own website as the source.
Checked on . We make NotchBuddy, so we’ve marked where it falls short too.
At a glance
| Feature | NotchBuddy | Alcove |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 once (₹1,299 in India) | $14.99 once |
| Macs per licence | 1 | Up to 3 |
| Try before you buy | No trial · 14-day refund | 72-hour trial · 14-day refund |
| Minimum macOS | 14 Sonoma | 15 Sequoia |
| Macs without a notch | Yes, as a pill | Yes, as a pill |
| Music controls | Yes | Yes |
| Volume & brightness pop-ups | No | Yes |
| Weather | No | Yes |
| File shelf + AirDrop | Yes | Tray announced for 1.8 |
| Clipboard history | Yes | Not listed |
| Pomodoro and timers | Yes | Not listed |
| Reminders and notes | Yes | Not listed |
| Sales alerts | 8 platforms | Not listed |
| Desk pet | 5 pets | Not listed |
The short version
Pick Alcove if you want the notch to feel like an iPhone's Dynamic Island: smooth animations for music, replacement volume and brightness pop-ups, calendar and weather, a 72-hour trial and a licence for three Macs.
Pick NotchBuddy if you want the notch to do work: a Pomodoro timer, clipboard history, a file shelf with AirDrop, reminders that can speak, sticky notes, and a cha-ching when Stripe, RevenueCat or App Store Connect records a sale.
Where Alcove is ahead
- Polish on the basics. Music, the system pop-ups and the calendar are the whole point of Alcove, and it shows.
- Three Macs per licence. A NotchBuddy licence covers one Mac.
- A trial. Alcove gives you 72 hours. NotchBuddy has no trial, only a 14-day refund.
- Weather and system pop-ups. NotchBuddy has neither today.
Where NotchBuddy is ahead
- More tools. 19 in the notch, from a Pomodoro timer to a colour picker. Alcove's changelog announces a file tray for version 1.8; it isn't out yet.
- Your sales, live. Revenue connects to eight payment platforms with a read-only key. Alcove doesn't list anything like it.
- Older macOS. NotchBuddy runs on macOS 14 Sonoma. Alcove needs macOS 15 Sequoia.
- A pet. Five, in fact. They wander the notch, nap when you step away and jump when you get paid.
Price, honestly
Alcove is $5 cheaper and covers three Macs. If all you want in your notch is music and nicer pop-ups, it's the better deal. NotchBuddy is $20 once for one Mac, and it earns that if you use the tools or the sales alerts every day.
Questions, answered.
Is Alcove free?
No. According to its website Alcove costs $14.99 once, with a 72-hour trial and a 14-day refund, and works on up to 3 devices.
Does NotchBuddy replace the volume and brightness pop-ups?
No. NotchBuddy leaves the macOS pop-ups alone. If that's the feature you want, Alcove does it.
Can I run NotchBuddy and Alcove at the same time?
We don't recommend it. Both open a panel from the notch, so they compete for the same spot. Pick one, or quit the other.