Best Mac timer apps for countdowns and stopwatches
At a glance
| App | Price | Requirements | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| NotchPop | Free, MIT open source, no login | macOS 14, Apple silicon and Intel | Free notch app with stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro and a pill beside the notch. |
| NotchThings | Free download with 7 day trial; Lifetime purchase $6.99 | macOS 15.6 or later; chip support not stated | Stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro with live status in the notch. |
| NotchBox | Free; NotchBox Pro $4.99 in app purchase | macOS 13.0 or later | Pomodoro, countdown and stopwatch in a notch app with a clipboard manager and shelf. |
| Notch Buddy | $5.99 for the first 100 customers, then $19.99; 14 day money back | macOS 14, Apple silicon and Intel | Pomodoro, countdown, stopwatch and hydration timers beside a seven day agenda. |
| DynamicNotch | No price stated; README lists donation links only; GPL 3.0 | macOS 14.6 | Open source notch app with a timer live activity, downloads, Focus and AirDrop activities. |
| Brow | Free forever with 40 or more tools; Pro $4.99 a month or $49 a year | macOS 14 or later; Intel support not stated | A broad Mac toolkit whose focus timer blocks apps and sites and runs several timers at once. |
| NotchStar | $4 once for ten tools, up to 3 Macs, 7 day trial, 7 day refund | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | Timer from 5 to 60 minutes, stopwatch and Pomodoro; keeps time while the notch is closed. |
Prices and availability were checked on 4 November 2026. Verify the linked product page before buying.
There is no single best Mac timer app. NotchPop is the free notch pick with stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro. NotchThings and NotchBox show timers in the notch for a few dollars. Brow suits several timers at once. NotchStar offers one timer, a stopwatch and Pomodoro for $4. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
How we checked
Each entry comes from the maker’s own pages, read on 4 November 2026: websites, pricing pages, GitHub pages and Mac App Store listings. Nothing was tested by hand for this list, so it says what each maker states and no more. Where a page did not state a price or a macOS version, this list says so instead of guessing. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| NotchPop | a free notch timer set | Free, MIT open source, no login |
| NotchThings | live timer status in the notch | Free download with 7 day trial; Lifetime purchase $6.99 |
| NotchBox | a low cost option on macOS 13 | Free; NotchBox Pro $4.99 in app purchase |
| Notch Buddy | timers plus a hydration reminder | $5.99 for the first 100 customers, then $19.99; 14 day money back |
| DynamicNotch | a free timer live activity | No price stated; README lists donation links only; GPL 3.0 |
| Brow | several timers and a focus timer | Free forever with 40 or more tools; Pro $4.99 a month or $49 a year |
| NotchStar | one timer tab with three modes | $4 once for ten tools, up to 3 Macs, 7 day trial, 7 day refund |
Seven timer apps, one entry each
NotchPop
Best for: a free notch timer set.
NotchPop covers stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro, and shows a pill beside the notch during Pomodoro or music. It adds clipboard, shelf, calendar and system stats. The maker is not named, no privacy policy is linked, and the last release was 13 May 2026.
Price: Free, MIT open source, no login. Requires: macOS 14, Apple silicon and Intel.
NotchThings
Best for: live timer status in the notch.
NotchThings shows a live status in the notch while a timer runs, which NotchStar does not. It needs macOS 15.6, higher than many peers. See the NotchThings comparison.
Price: Free download with 7 day trial; Lifetime purchase $6.99. Requires: macOS 15.6 or later; chip support not stated.
NotchBox
Best for: a low cost option on macOS 13.
NotchBox runs on an older macOS than most notch apps and bundles a shelf, camera mirror, clipboard manager and system monitor. Its teleprompter was not stated. See the NotchBox comparison.
Price: Free; NotchBox Pro $4.99 in app purchase. Requires: macOS 13.0 or later.
Notch Buddy
Best for: timers plus a hydration reminder.
Notch Buddy has no trial but a 14 day money back guarantee, and it is closed source. Its page highlights Stripe and visitor numbers in the notch. The price rises after the first 100 customers, and 89 of 100 had sold when read.
Price: $5.99 for the first 100 customers, then $19.99; 14 day money back. Requires: macOS 14, Apple silicon and Intel.
DynamicNotch
Best for: a free timer live activity.
DynamicNotch is active, with version 1.6.4 on 3 November 2026. It shows timer, media, downloads and Focus as live activities and a floating capsule on Macs without a notch. It lists no clipboard, shelf or calendar, and its price is not stated in words.
Price: No price stated; README lists donation links only; GPL 3.0. Requires: macOS 14.6.
Brow
Best for: several timers and a focus timer.
Brow is a toolkit rather than a timer, with a launcher and window management. Pro adds the AI features. See the Brow comparison.
Price: Free forever with 40 or more tools; Pro $4.99 a month or $49 a year. Requires: macOS 14 or later; Intel support not stated.
NotchStar
Best for: one timer tab with three modes.
NotchStar has a timer from 5 to 60 minutes, a stopwatch with a ring that completes every minute, and Pomodoro. You can pick a finish sound. It runs one countdown at a time, because the Timer and Pomodoro share one finish alert. The alert is a sound with no banner, it cannot sleep or shut down your Mac, and timers reset when you quit. See running more than one timer.
Price: $4 once for ten tools, up to 3 Macs, 7 day trial, 7 day refund. Requires: macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel.
How to choose
- Want free: NotchPop or DynamicNotch.
- Want live timer status in the notch: NotchThings or DynamicNotch.
- Run macOS 13: NotchBox is the one here that supports it.
- Want several timers at once: Brow. NotchStar runs one countdown at a time.
- Want a hydration reminder too: Notch Buddy.
- Just need a timer now: the macOS Clock app may do it. See how to set a timer on a Mac.
Left out
Focus apps with blocking and tasks are on the Pomodoro list. Droppy, Crest and OmniNotch also have timers; read the Timers feature page for NotchStar’s full limits.
Sources
Official pages, read on 4 November 2026. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
