# Mac notch apps you can buy once, with no subscription, priced

> Which Mac notch apps cost one payment instead of a subscription? Prices, Mac counts, trials and macOS versions from official pages, checked 4 November 2026.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-one-time-purchase-mac-notch-apps/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

## At a glance

| App | Price | Requirements | Good fit for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [NotchStar](https://www.notchstar.com/pricing/) | $4 once, up to 3 Macs, 7 day trial, 7 day refund | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | Ten tools and a Screenshot Tray for one low payment, with no account. |
| [Droppy](https://getdroppy.app/) | $9.99 once, 2 Macs, 3 day trial, 14 day refund | macOS 14 | Clipboard, file tray, timers and capture tools, with free updates. |
| [Alcove](https://tryalcove.com/) | $12.99 on its Purchase button, billing model not stated on the page | macOS 15 or later | A Dynamic Island style design with live activities and widgets. |
| [Crest](https://crestnotch.app/) | Crest Pro $14.99 once, 2 Macs, 7 day trial | macOS 14, Apple silicon or Intel | A notch app built around coding agents and passwords, with a Drop tool for files. |
| [NotchNook](https://lo.cafe/notchnook) | Classic $15 once, Pro $19 once, 2 Macs, 48 hour trial. Monthly plans also exist | macOS 14.6, Pro needs Apple silicon | The longest running notch app, with a tray, AirDrop, music and widgets. |
| [NotchNest](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6747612321) | Lifetime $14.99 as an in app purchase. Monthly and yearly plans also exist | macOS 14.0 or later | Clipboard history with AI tools and a file tray, from the Mac App Store. |
| [Notchy](https://notchy.dev/pricing) | $24.99 once, 1 Mac, 7 day trial, 14 day refund | macOS 13 or later | The longest tool list of the group, with Face Unlock and a screenshot shelf. |

Prices and availability were checked on 4 November 2026. Verify the linked product page before buying.

The cheapest Mac notch app you pay for once is NotchStar, at $4 for up to three Macs, with a 7 day free trial, a 7 day refund and no account. Droppy is $9.99, Crest Pro $14.99, NotchNook Classic $15 and Notchy $24.99, as listed on their own pages on 4 November 2026. A one time price is not the only thing that matters, so this guide also shows the Mac count, the trial and the macOS version.

## The one time prices in order

| App | Price | Macs | Trial | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NotchStar | $4 | Up to 3 | 7 days | macOS 14 |
| Droppy | $9.99 | 2 | 3 days | macOS 14 |
| Alcove | $12.99 on the Purchase button | Not stated | Not stated | macOS 15 |
| Crest Pro | $14.99 | 2 | 7 days | macOS 14 |
| NotchNook Classic | $15 | 2 | 48 hours | macOS 14.6 |
| NotchNest Lifetime | $14.99 as an in app purchase | Not stated | Not stated | macOS 14.0 |
| NotchNook Pro | $19 | 2 | 48 hours | macOS 14.6, Apple silicon |
| Notchy | $24.99 | 1 | 7 days | macOS 13 |

Prices as of 4 November 2026. All figures are US dollars from each app's own page or store listing. Alcove's page shows a Purchase button at $12.99 and does not say whether it is one time, so check before you buy.

## Why the billing model matters

A subscription charges again every month or year. Some apps offer both. NotchNook lists monthly plans at $2 for Classic and $3 for Pro next to its one time prices. At $3 a month, NotchNook Pro costs $36 over twelve months, which is nine times the NotchStar license. NotchNest also lists monthly and yearly plans next to its lifetime price. If you plan to keep an app for years, the one time number is the one to compare.

## Free options

If any payment is too much, three notch apps are free:

- **Boring Notch** is open source under GPL 3.0 and installs on macOS 14. It covers music controls, a calendar and a file shelf with AirDrop.
- **Atoll** is open source under GPL 3.0 and needs macOS 14.0. It lists a clipboard, a shelf and timers.
- **NotchPop** says on its own page that it is free under an MIT license and needs macOS 14.

Open source apps also let you read and audit the code, which a closed source app such as NotchStar does not.

## What $4 buys

NotchStar has ten tools: Home with Now Playing, Shelf with AirDrop, Clipboard, Calendar and Reminders, Quick Notes, Timers, Teleprompter, Mirror, System stats and Disk. A Screenshot Tray holds each new screenshot under the notch. There is no account. Nothing is measured unless you opt in. The download is signed and notarized, and [the safety guide](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/is-notchstar-safe/) lists what it sends.

What it does not include: live activities, Face Unlock, window management, widgets or AI chat. It also needs macOS 14, so Notchy is the option for a Mac stuck on macOS 13. For a feature by feature view of the six tools people ask about most, read [which notch apps put clipboard, shelf and timers in one app](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/mac-notch-app-clipboard-file-shelf-timers/).

## How to choose

1. **Decide your Mac count.** One Mac: any app works. Three Macs: NotchStar covers three, Droppy and NotchNook two.
2. **Check your macOS version** against the Needs column.
3. **Use the trial.** NotchStar gives 7 days and a 7 day refund, Notchy 7 days and 14 days, Droppy 3 days and 14 days, NotchNook 48 hours.
4. **Match the tools.** The wider guide [compares eight notch apps fairly](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-mac-notch-apps/) with sources and dates.

## Sources

- [NotchStar pricing](https://www.notchstar.com/pricing/), [Droppy](https://getdroppy.app/), [Alcove](https://tryalcove.com/), [Crest](https://crestnotch.app/), [NotchNook](https://lo.cafe/notchnook) and [Notchy pricing](https://notchy.dev/pricing), read on 4 November 2026.
- [NotchNest on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6747612321), read on 4 November 2026.
- [Boring Notch on GitHub](https://github.com/TheBoredTeam/boring.notch), [Atoll on GitHub](https://github.com/Ebullioscopic/Atoll) and [NotchPop](https://notchpop.pages.dev/), read on 4 November 2026.

## Quick answers.

### What is the cheapest Mac notch app you pay for once?

Among the apps in this guide, NotchStar at $4 once for up to 3 Macs. The next lowest are Droppy at $9.99 and Alcove at $12.99, as listed on 4 November 2026.

### Are there free Mac notch apps?

Yes. Boring Notch and Atoll are free and open source under GPL 3.0, and NotchPop is free under an MIT license, according to their own pages.

### Does one purchase cover more than one Mac?

It depends. NotchStar covers up to 3 Macs, Droppy, Crest and NotchNook cover 2, and Notchy covers 1.

### Do NotchStar updates cost extra?

No subscription is involved. The license is one payment of $4 and there is a 7 day refund.

## Related

- [The best Mac notch apps in 2026, compared fairly](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-mac-notch-apps/): Compare thirteen Mac notch apps from their official pages, with prices, requirements, strengths, limits and who each one suits. Updated 4 November 2026.
- [A Mac notch app with clipboard history, a file shelf and timers in one](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/mac-notch-app-clipboard-file-shelf-timers/): Which Mac notch apps put clipboard history, a file shelf, timers, a teleprompter and a mirror in one app? Compared from official pages, with prices.
- [Dynamic Island for Mac: what it is and what you can get](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/dynamic-island-for-mac/): The Mac has no Dynamic Island, but notch apps can imitate one. See what live activities are, which apps do it and what to expect.
- [Is NotchStar safe? Signing, permissions and what it sends](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/is-notchstar-safe/): NotchStar is signed and notarized by Apple, needs no account and sends nothing unless you opt in. See every permission it asks for and how to check it yourself.