Best Mac notch apps with a calendar, from a glance to join buttons
At a glance
| App | Price | Requirements | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NotchStar | $4 once, up to 3 Macs, 7 day trial | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | Upcoming events through the end of tomorrow and due reminders you can tick off. It cannot create or edit events. |
| Alcove | $12.99 one time, up to 3 devices, 72 hour trial, 14 day refund | macOS 15 or later | An expanded calendar since 1.6 with Fantastical and Notion Calendar support, a time to leave notification and a calendar live activity. |
| NotchNook | Pro $19 lifetime or $3 a month; Classic $15 lifetime; 2 Macs; 48 hour trial | macOS 14.6 or later, Pro needs Apple silicon | Join buttons for Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex, and a countdown before each meeting in Pro. |
| Crest | $14.99 once, 2 Macs, 7 day trial | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | A calendar with a Join button for meetings, plus notes, to dos and a Focus timer. |
| SuperIsland | Free | macOS 14 or later, a physical notch | A meeting countdown with join links for Zoom, Meet and Teams. No release since June 2026. |
| Droppy | $9.99 once, 2 Macs, 3 day trial | macOS 14 or later | Reads Apple Calendar and Reminders, and you can add an event in plain words. |
| DynamicLake | $13.99 one time, up to 3 devices, 14 day money back | macOS 14.0 or later | A calendar with a month view, in an app built around live activities and message alerts. |
| NotchBox | Free; NotchBox Pro $4.99 in app | macOS 13.0 or later | A calendar with a month view among many small widgets. |
| MacNotch | From $4.99 a month via Setapp | macOS 14 or later | Events with countdown timers and active meeting detection, plus a task list that syncs with Reminders. |
| Boring Notch | Free, GPL 3.0 | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | Calendar and reminders integration, both checked off on its roadmap, in a free open source app. |
Prices and availability were checked on 4 November 2026. Verify the linked product page before buying.
For a calendar in the notch, NotchStar shows events through tomorrow and lets you tick off reminders for $4 once, view only. NotchNook, Crest and SuperIsland add meeting join buttons, Alcove adds an expanded calendar, and Droppy lets you add events. Checked 4 November 2026.
How we checked
The calendar wording on each official page was read on 4 November 2026. The comparison points are whether you can only see events or also act on them, whether there are join buttons for video calls, and whether reminders are included. Nothing is ranked, and no calendar sync was tested. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
View, join and act
NotchStar: best for a quiet glance at what is next
The Calendar tab lists events from today and tomorrow that have not ended, in time order, with the color of each calendar. Reminders sit beside them and a click completes one, saved back to the Reminders app. It uses Calendar and Reminders through macOS, so iCloud, Google and Exchange accounts already set up appear. It needs permission the first time. The limits: it cannot create or edit events, it looks ahead only to the end of tomorrow, and it has no join buttons. $4 once for up to 3 Macs, macOS 14 or later.
Alcove: best for the deepest calendar and macOS 15
Alcove’s expanded calendar arrived in 1.6 on 8 February 2026, with Fantastical and Notion Calendar support, after a time to leave notification in 1.4 and a calendar live activity. It needs macOS 15, costs $12.99, and its FAQ says it relies on private Apple APIs and is sold as is.
NotchNook: best for join buttons for four video apps
Join buttons cover Meet, Zoom, Teams and Webex, and Pro shows a countdown before each meeting. Pro is $19 lifetime or $3 a month, with a 48 hour trial.
Crest: best for a Join button plus notes and to dos
Crest’s calendar has a Join button, and it adds notes in categories, to dos that sync with Crest for iPhone and a Focus timer. It is $14.99 once, and after the 7 day trial the weather, calendar and battery cards show a Paused face until you buy.
SuperIsland: best for a free meeting countdown
A meeting countdown with join links for Zoom, Meet and Teams, in a free open source app. It has had no release since June 2026 and asks for Calendar, Accessibility and Location access.
Droppy: best for adding events in plain words
Droppy reads Apple Calendar and Reminders and lets you add an event in plain words. It costs $9.99 once for two Macs.
DynamicLake: best for a month view with message alerts
The calendar includes a month view, in an app that also shows iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and email in the island. It costs $13.99 and the download is about 396 MB.
NotchBox: best for a month view on macOS 13
A calendar with a month view among many widgets, free to download with a $4.99 Pro purchase, on macOS 13.0 or later.
MacNotch: best for meeting detection and tasks
Events carry countdown timers and active meeting detection, and the task list syncs with macOS Reminders. It is a subscription through Setapp, from $4.99 a month, and its page names no developer.
Boring Notch: best for a free calendar and reminders view
Calendar and reminders integration are checked off on its roadmap. It is free, open source and unsigned.
The calendar features side by side
| App | Join buttons | Reminders or tasks | Add events | View |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NotchStar | No | Yes, tick off | No | Events through tomorrow |
| Alcove | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Expanded calendar |
| NotchNook | Meet, Zoom, Teams, Webex | Not stated | Not stated | Countdown in Pro |
| Crest | Yes | To dos | Not stated | Calendar widget |
| SuperIsland | Zoom, Meet, Teams | Not stated | Not stated | Meeting countdown |
| Droppy | Not stated | Reads Reminders | Yes, in plain words | Not stated |
| DynamicLake | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Month view |
| NotchBox | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Month view |
| MacNotch | Not stated | Syncs with Reminders | Not stated | Countdown timers |
| Boring Notch | Not stated | Reminders on roadmap | Not stated | Calendar |
“Not stated” means the page read on 4 November 2026 did not say.
Before you pay
NotchStar reads Calendar and Reminders through macOS, so Google, iCloud and Exchange accounts already on the Mac show up without a separate login. Check how any other app gets its events. If you decline the permission, the NotchStar tab explains how to allow it in System Settings under Privacy and Security. Pick on the one thing you do most often: glance, join a call or add an event. Most of the extra price in this list buys join buttons and live activities rather than a better list of events.
How to choose
- You only need to see what is next: NotchStar, or Boring Notch if you need it free.
- You join video calls from the notch: NotchNook, Crest or SuperIsland.
- You want to add events by typing: Droppy.
- You use Fantastical or Notion Calendar: Alcove.
- You want a month view: DynamicLake or NotchBox.
See the Calendar and Reminders feature page for what NotchStar does and does not do. For how the apps compare overall read the best Mac notch apps compared fairly, and for a closer look at the biggest differences, NotchStar compared with Alcove.
Sources
All read on 4 November 2026.
