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 | $10 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 | 1.0.3 | 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 $10 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 costs more but covers three Macs, so it's cheaper per Mac. 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.