NotchBuddyNotchBuddy vs OmniNotch: Mac notch apps compared
OmniNotch and NotchBuddy are the closest pair on this list: both are one-time purchases with about twenty tools in the notch. OmniNotch leans on on-device AI and a low launch price. NotchBuddy leans on live sales alerts and a pet.
Checked on . We make NotchBuddy, so we’ve marked where it falls short too.
At a glance
| Feature | NotchBuddy | OmniNotch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20 once | $14.99 once ($5 for its first users) |
| Macs per licence | 1 | Up to 3 |
| Refund | 14 days | 7 days |
| Minimum macOS | 14 Sonoma | 14 Sonoma |
| Macs without a notch | Yes, as a pill | Yes, as a floating notch |
| Music, file shelf, AirDrop | Yes | Yes |
| Clipboard history | Yes | Yes |
| Pomodoro and timers | Yes | Yes |
| Reminders | Its own, read out loud | Apple Reminders |
| Notes | Sticky notes and a scratchpad | Quick notes and to-dos |
| Weather and stocks | No | Yes |
| AI chat | No | On-device (Apple Intelligence) |
| AI usage (Claude, Codex, Copilot) | No | Yes |
| Sales alerts | 8 platforms | Not listed |
| Desk pet | 5 pets | Not listed |
| Status | 1.0.1 | Beta |
The short version
Pick OmniNotch if you want the most tools for the least money, weather and stocks, and a private AI chat that runs on your Mac. Pick NotchBuddy if you sell software and want every sale in the notch, or you'd like a pet for company while you work.
Where OmniNotch is ahead
- Price and licences. $14.99 once (with a $5 offer for early buyers) for up to three Macs. NotchBuddy is $20 for one Mac.
- On-device AI. Ask Omni runs on Apple Intelligence, and it tracks your Claude, Codex and Copilot usage.
- Weather, stocks, shortcuts and a teleprompter. NotchBuddy has none of these.
Where NotchBuddy is ahead
- Sales alerts. Revenue shows new sales, renewals, trials, refunds and failed payments from Stripe, RevenueCat, Lemon Squeezy, Polar, Paddle, Dodo Payments, Gumroad and App Store Connect.
- A pet. Five of them, with their own personalities, that stay quiet while you focus.
- Focus with sound. Pomodoro plus a water reminder, and Sounds for rain, wind, waves or brown noise generated on your Mac.
- Image converter and colour picker. Resize and convert to JPEG, PNG, HEIC or PDF, or pick any pixel as HEX, RGB, HSL or SwiftUI.
- A longer refund, 14 days against 7, and out of beta.
Price, honestly
OmniNotch is cheaper and covers three Macs. If you don't sell software and don't want a pet, it's probably the better value. If a single sale alert saves you a trip to the Stripe dashboard every hour, NotchBuddy pays for itself quickly.
Questions, answered.
Is OmniNotch open source?
Its website says it's built on NotchDrop, which is MIT-licensed, but OmniNotch itself is sold as a closed app with a licence key.
Which is better for indie developers?
If you sell apps or SaaS, NotchBuddy's Revenue tool is the difference: sales from eight platforms land in the notch with a cha-ching. OmniNotch's AI usage meter is handy if you watch your Claude or Codex limits.