NotchStar vs Atoll
Atoll is an open source GPL 3.0 notch app with live activities, lock screen widgets and a very wide feature list; NotchStar is a $4 signed toolbox with neither, and with tools Atoll does not list.
| NotchStar | Atoll | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4 once, with a 7 day trial, up to 3 Macs | No price stated; the DMG downloads from GitHub, and the README links GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee |
| Open source | Not listed | Included GPL 3.0 |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 14.0 or later, optimised for macOS 15 and up |
| Live activities in the collapsed notch | Not listed | Included Media, Focus, screen recording, privacy indicators, downloads (beta), battery and charging |
| Lock screen widgets | Not listed | Included Media, timers, charging, Bluetooth devices and weather |
| Gesture controls | Not listed | Included Two finger swipe to open and close, horizontal swipes for media |
| Mac without a notch | Included Small floating pill | Partly README requires a notched MacBook; the 2.2.0 notes mention notchless updates |
| Now playing | Included | Included Apple Music, Spotify, Cider and others |
| Clipboard history | Included | Included |
| System stats | Included | Included CPU, GPU, memory, network and disk |
| Timers | Included | Included |
| Calendar | Included | Included Calendar previews |
| File shelf with AirDrop | Included | Partly Has a Shelf; AirDrop is not stated, and 2.2.0 added sharing services including LocalSend |
| Camera mirror | Included | Partly Camera permission listed and a camera choice added in 2.2.0; a mirror is not named |
| Teleprompter | Included | Not listed Not stated in its README |
Sources: Atoll on GitHub (README) (checked 4 November 2026), Atoll license file (checked 4 November 2026), Atoll releases on GitHub (checked 4 November 2026), Atoll Labs website (checked 4 November 2026). “Not listed” means the source does not mention it, which is not proof the feature is missing. Prices and features change, so check before you buy.
Atoll at a glance.
- Made by
- Atoll Labs (getatoll.app), an open source team led on GitHub by Ebullioscopic with 62 listed contributors; the README says it is backed by iOS Development Centre at SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai
- Who it suits
- A Mac user with a notched MacBook who wants an open source, Dynamic Island style notch with live activities, lock screen widgets and many built in tools, and who is comfortable granting Accessibility and Screen Recording access.
- Price
- Price not stated. The README states no price, trial, tiers, device limit or refund. The latest DMG downloads from GitHub releases with no purchase step, and the README links GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee for voluntary support.
- Needs
- macOS 14 or later. Not stated.
- License
- Open source, GPL 3.0
- Release history
- 29 releases between 6 Sep 2025 and 7 Sep 2026: 8 stable between 6 Mar and 24 Jul 2026, and 21 alpha, beta and nightly prereleases. Latest listed: 2.3.3, 24 July 2026. Source
Atoll is one of the 62 apps counted in our pricing statistics and requirements statistics.
Strengths
- The source is on GitHub under GPL 3.0, with 5,177 stars, 366 forks and 62 contributors on 4 November 2026.
- Its README lists live activities for media, Focus, screen recording, privacy indicators, downloads (beta) and battery and charging, plus lock screen widgets for media, timers, charging, Bluetooth devices and weather.
- The tool list is wide: clipboard history, a color picker, timers, calendar previews and stats for CPU, GPU, memory, network and disk, with a terminal tab credited in its acknowledgments.
- Version 2.1.0 on 21 March 2026 added Lunar and BetterDisplay support, including volume control on external displays.
- It is under active development: the last push was 4 November 2026, and 2.2.0 added multiple camera choice, LocalSend sharing and an AirPlay device selector.
Limits
- The README requires a MacBook with a notch, while the 2.2.0 release notes mention notchless updates, so support for Macs without a notch is unclear.
- It needs macOS 14.0 or later and is optimised for macOS 15 and up; the README does not state Intel support.
- It asks for Accessibility, Camera, Calendar, Screen Recording and Music permissions, and its README says to quit and relaunch after granting Accessibility or Screen Recording.
- Most new work lands in prereleases: stable 2.3.3 on 24 July 2026 only fixed packaging, and seven alpha and beta builds followed between 6 August and 7 September 2026.
Choose Atoll if…
- You want source code you can read, build and change under GPL 3.0.
- You want live activities and lock screen widgets in a Dynamic Island style notch.
- You want gesture controls, a terminal tab, a color picker and detailed layout and animation settings.
- You use BetterDisplay or Lunar and want external display brightness and volume handled from the notch.
Choose NotchStar if…
- You want a signed and notarized app with a 7 day trial and a 7 day refund.
- You want a teleprompter, disk tools (duplicates, app leftovers, ports) and a screenshot tray.
- You want an app with no account and no analytics unless you opt in, and permissions asked only when a tab needs them.
The verdict.
Atoll does more in the notch and you can read its code. NotchStar is a smaller, paid toolbox with a different set of utilities. Choose Atoll for live activities, widgets and open source, NotchStar for a signed app with a stated price and a trial.
What Atoll is
Atoll is an open source Mac app that describes itself as “DynamicIsland for macOS”. It comes from Atoll Labs (getatoll.app), led on GitHub by the user Ebullioscopic, and its README credits iOS Development Centre at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai as a backer. The repository was created on 1 November 2024, is licensed GPL 3.0 and on 4 November 2026 showed 5,177 stars, 366 forks, 62 contributors and a push that same day.
Its README is open about its lineage. Boring Notch is named as the “foundational codebase” for the first media player, the AirDrop surface, the file dock and the calendar display, and Alcove is named as the inspiration for the minimalistic mode and the lock screen widgets. So Atoll sits between the two apps this site also compares.
It does not state a price. The latest DMG downloads from GitHub releases, and the README links GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee for support. We read that as free to download, but the README never says so.
The release history is long. GitHub lists 29 releases between 6 September 2025 (v0.0.1 alpha) and 7 September 2026. Eight are stable: 2.0.0 on 6 March 2026, 2.0.1 on 8 March, 2.1.0 on 21 March, 2.2.0 on 29 May, 2.3.0, 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 on 20 July, and 2.3.3 on 24 July. The other 21 are alpha, beta and nightly prereleases. Downloads of the stable files total about 146,570, of which 87,486 are for 2.3.3. Until 2.0.0 every build was marked beta or alpha, so the stable line is about eight months old.
Who it suits
Atoll suits someone who wants the most features in the notch and is willing to configure them. The README lists settings for layouts, animations, hover behaviour and shortcut remapping, and a parallax hover effect with a slider in the 2.2.0 notes. If you like tuning your menu bar, you will like this.
It suits people who want the Dynamic Island look on a notched MacBook, with live activities in the closed notch and widgets on the lock screen. It suits people with external displays, because 2.1.0 added Lunar and BetterDisplay DDC support with volume control. And it suits developers: it has a terminal tab, a shelf you can feed from the command line with open -a Atoll /path/to/file, and an LLM usage monitor.
It suits anyone who reads source before granting Accessibility and Screen Recording, since the code is public.
What Atoll does that NotchStar does not
Live activities: the README names media playback, Focus, screen recording, privacy indicators, downloads (beta), and battery and charging. NotchStar shows nothing in the collapsed notch. This matters if you want to notice a screen recording or a charging state without opening anything.
Lock screen widgets for media, timers, charging, Bluetooth devices and weather, with positioning controls. NotchStar has no lock screen presence.
Gesture controls. A two finger swipe down opens the notch when hover to open is off, and horizontal swipes can skip tracks or seek 10 seconds.
A color picker, a terminal tab and an LLM usage monitor that tracks usage for several AI tools. The 2.3.3 beta 3 notes say the monitor reads local session logs, and reads a Gemini CLI token through the security command. That is useful for developers and also a reason to read the permissions it asks for.
Source code, and external display control. NotchStar has neither.
What NotchStar does that Atoll does not list
Atoll’s README and release notes do not mention these, which is different from proving they are absent.
A teleprompter beside the camera, with speed and size sliders. Disk tools: free space, a ranked folder view, byte for byte duplicate finding, app leftovers and a ports list showing what is listening on your Mac. A screenshot tray holding the latest 12 screenshots for five minutes, with Option drag to send them all. A file shelf that keeps references and an AirDrop zone that opens the macOS sharing picker with files attached; Atoll has a shelf, but AirDrop is not in its README.
Where both apps have a tool, the behaviours differ in ways you can check. NotchStar’s clipboard keeps 50 items in memory only, skips password manager copies, and clears when you quit. Atoll’s clipboard is not described in detail in its README, and a prerelease adds a card grid with drag out. NotchStar’s timers keep real clock time while the notch is closed.
Finally, NotchStar states its terms: $4 once, a 7 day trial, a 7 day refund, 3 Macs, macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon and Intel, signed and notarized, no account and no analytics unless you opt in.
Switching from Atoll to NotchStar
Day one is calmer and smaller. You hover over the notch and open a tool; nothing appears unprompted. If you relied on lock screen widgets or the live media display, you will lose them and may prefer to keep Atoll.
You give up the source, live activities, lock screen widgets, gestures, the terminal and color picker, and Lunar or BetterDisplay support. You gain a teleprompter, disk tools, a screenshot tray and a clear price and trial.
Atoll documents no export of settings, so set NotchStar up from scratch. Quit Atoll before opening it. NotchStar will ask for Calendar, Reminders or camera access when you first open those tabs. Atoll’s Accessibility and Screen Recording grants stay in System Settings until you remove them.
What we could not verify
We have not tested Atoll ourselves. This page uses its GitHub README, license, API metadata and release notes, plus the Atoll Labs site, read on 4 November 2026.
We could not confirm its price, because none is stated. We could not confirm whether it works on a Mac without a notch, whether it runs on Intel, or whether its builds are signed and notarized. The Atoll Labs site shows a Sign In link and we could not tell what it is for, so we cannot say whether Atoll needs an account. We did not check how its clipboard history, shelf or AirDrop behave, or its CPU use. Release notes for the 2.3.3 betas describe features that are not in the stable build, and we have kept them out of the comparison except where noted.
Questions.
Is Atoll open source?
Yes. Its README says it is released under the GPL v3 License, GitHub reports GPL 3.0, and the repository includes the license text.
Does Atoll cost anything?
Its README states no price. The DMG downloads from GitHub releases, and the README links GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee for support.
Which macOS does Atoll need?
Its README says macOS 14.0 or later, optimised for macOS 15 and up.
Does NotchStar have live activities?
No. NotchStar does not show live status in the collapsed notch and has no lock screen widgets.
More comparisons.
- NotchStar vs AgentNotch
- AgentNotch is an MIT licensed app that shows Claude Code and Codex tool calls, tokens and cost in the notch; NotchStar has no agent monitoring. Read it
- NotchStar vs Alcove
- Alcove is a $12.99 one time purchase for macOS 15 or later built around live activities, lock screen widgets and HUDs; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten utilities with none of those three. Read it
- NotchStar vs Alfred
- Alfred is a launcher whose clipboard history needs the Powerpack at 34 GBP and keeps up to 3 months; NotchStar is a $4 once app where clipboard history is one of ten notch tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Avocado
- Avocado is a teleprompter with a free tier and a Pro tier for voice scrolling, AI access and a Recording Studio; NotchStar's teleprompter scrolls at a set speed inside a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs Bartender
- Bartender is a dedicated menu bar manager that handles items the notch hides; NotchStar does not organize menu bar icons and instead puts ten tools in the notch for $4 once. Read it
- NotchStar vs Be Focused
- Be Focused pairs a Pomodoro timer with tasks, reports, sync and blocking behind a Pro tier; NotchStar has simpler Pomodoro timers in a $4 once toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs Boring Notch
- Boring Notch is free, open source and replaces the volume and brightness HUDs; NotchStar is a $4 signed and notarized app with more utility tools, such as clipboard history, timers, a teleprompter and disk tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Brow
- Brow is a broad Mac toolkit with a launcher and window management, free with a Pro tier at $4.99 a month for AI features; NotchStar is a smaller notch app at $4 once. Read it
- NotchStar vs ChocolateBar
- ChocolateBar is a $15 menu bar manager that hides crowded icons or shows them in a second row under the bar, on macOS 12 to 15. NotchStar is a $4 notch toolbox that does not manage menu bar icons. Read it
- NotchStar vs CleanShot X
- CleanShot X captures, annotates and records, from $35 with a year of updates; NotchStar does not capture, and its $4 Screenshot Tray only holds screenshots macOS already took. Read it
- NotchStar vs Crest
- Crest is a larger notch control room at $14.99 once, with Claude Code and Codex approvals, passwords, a 2FA authenticator and encrypted file sending; NotchStar is $4 once and sticks to everyday utilities. Read it
- NotchStar vs CueNotch
- CueNotch is a feature rich notch teleprompter with voice following and Ghost Mode, free with a $29.99 lifetime or $7.99 weekly Pro; NotchStar's teleprompter scrolls at a set speed inside a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs DaisyDisk
- DaisyDisk is the dedicated visual disk analyzer at $9.99 once with a 30 day money back guarantee; NotchStar's Disk tool finds large files, duplicates and leftovers inside a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs DropNotch
- DropNotch is a free notch file shelf with live status displays and a $15 one time Pro upgrade for clipboard history; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Dropover
- Dropover is a dedicated drag and drop shelf that opens on a shake, with cloud uploads and actions, free with a $7.99 Pro; NotchStar is a $4 app whose shelf is one of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Droppy
- Droppy is a larger modular suite with 41 free extensions, live activities, window snapping and a teleprompter at $9.99 once; NotchStar is a smaller $4 toolbox of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Dropzone
- Dropzone 5 is a $35 action launcher with grids, scripting and a Drop Bar; NotchStar is a $4 app whose file shelf overlaps only with that Drop Bar. Read it
- NotchStar vs Dynamic Notch
- Dynamic Notch is a free GPL 3.0 app that brings iPhone style live activities to the Mac notch, with a release on 3 November 2026; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools with no live activities. Read it
- NotchStar vs DynamicHorizon
- DynamicHorizon sells 20 or more notch modules with lock screen media and lyrics for $11.99 lifetime; NotchStar is $4 once with ten tools and a clear Mac count. Read it
- NotchStar vs DynamicLake
- DynamicLake adds a Dynamic Island style layer with message and call notifications, plugins, weather and file conversion for $13.99, with 89 changelog entries since June 2024; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten utilities that stays quiet until you open it. Read it
- NotchStar vs Gojo
- Gojo sells clipboard, shelf, window snapping, camera mirror and on device dictation from $9.99 lifetime for one Mac, or $19.99 for up to three; NotchStar is $4 once for up to three Macs. Read it
- NotchStar vs Hidden Bar
- Hidden Bar is a free, open source app that tucks menu bar icons behind an arrow; NotchStar does not organize menu bar icons and offers ten notch tools for $4 once. Read it
- NotchStar vs Ice
- Ice is a free, open source menu bar manager with an Ice Bar, profiles and hotkeys; NotchStar does not organize menu bar icons and is a $4 toolbox of ten notch tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs iStat Menus
- iStat Menus is the deeper dedicated monitor, with sensors, fan control, clocks and weather; NotchStar shows five basic readouts as one of ten tools for $4 once. Read it
- NotchStar vs Korinotch
- Korinotch lists $11.50 lifetime, a 14 day trial and a required account; NotchStar is $4 once with no account, a 7 day trial and ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Maccy
- Maccy is a free MIT clipboard manager you search by typing; NotchStar's clipboard history is one of ten notch tools for $4 and keeps 50 items in memory only. Read it
- NotchStar vs MacNotch
- MacNotch, sold through Setapp, does more: a widget grid, device batteries, file actions and live activities in the closed notch. NotchStar is smaller and costs $4 once, where MacNotch is a subscription from $4.99 a month. Read it
- NotchStar vs MediaMate
- MediaMate replaces the volume, brightness and keyboard backlight HUDs and adds a now playing view for 6.99 euros on 5 devices; NotchStar adds ten utilities in the notch for $4 on 3 Macs. Read it
- NotchStar vs MewNotch
- MewNotch is a free GPL 3.0 app that replaces volume and brightness HUDs and adds a shelf with AirDrop, now playing and a mirror; NotchStar is $4 once, signed and notarized, with ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Notch Buddy
- Notch Buddy adds live revenue and visitor numbers to a notch toolbox at $5.99 for the first 100 customers, then $19.99; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchBar
- NotchBar is a pre release AGPL 3.0 widget bar with media playback, system monitor and active app widgets; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchBox
- NotchBox is free with a $4.99 Pro purchase, runs on macOS 13 and has shipped 25 listed updates since October 2025; NotchStar is $4 once with a 7 day trial and needs macOS 14, with a similar set of notch tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchDrop
- NotchDrop does one job, a temporary file shelf with AirDrop in the notch, and is open source under the MIT license; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools that includes a shelf with an AirDrop zone. Read it
- NotchStar vs Notchet
- Notchet is a notch clipboard manager with search, text inside images and a shelf for $9.99 once; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox where clipboard history is one of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Notchi
- Notchi is a free GPL 3.0 app that shows Claude Code and Codex sessions, usage and cost in the notch; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox with no agent monitoring. Read it
- NotchStar vs Notchie
- Notchie is a teleprompter in the notch for $29.99 once that hides during screen sharing in supported apps and pauses when you hover; NotchStar's teleprompter is one tool in a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs Notchmeister
- Notchmeister is a free Mac App Store app from The Iconfactory that adds decorative effects around the notch; NotchStar adds ten working tools instead. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchNest
- NotchNest is a free Mac App Store download with capped free use, $2.99 a month or $14.99 once, and on device AI helpers; NotchStar is a $4 one time toolbox of ten tools with no caps. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchNook
- NotchNook Pro (28 October 2026) adds live activities, AI agent approvals, clipboard and a teleprompter for $19 lifetime or $3 a month on Apple silicon; NotchStar is a $4 one time toolbox with none of the live features. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchPop
- NotchPop is a free, open source notch app covering clipboard, shelf, music, calendar, timers and system stats; NotchStar costs $4 once and adds a teleprompter, camera mirror, quick notes, disk tools and a screenshot tray. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchPrompter
- NotchPrompter is a single purpose open source teleprompter that follows your voice and hides from screen sharing; NotchStar's teleprompter scrolls at a set speed inside a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs NotchSpace
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- NotchStar vs NotchThings
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- NotchStar vs OmniNotch
- OmniNotch ships twenty tools, including on device AI chat, AI usage meters and live sales totals, and has a timer countdown in the closed notch. NotchStar is narrower, with ten tools, and costs $4 once against OmniNotch's $5 flash sale and $19.99 regular price. Read it
- NotchStar vs OneNotch
- OneNotch is a free to start notch app with deep clipboard boards, capture tools and window snapping for Apple silicon on macOS 15; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox that runs on macOS 14 and Intel. Read it
- NotchStar vs Paste
- Paste is a subscription clipboard manager with unlimited history, pinboards and iCloud sync; NotchStar's clipboard keeps 50 items in memory for a $4 one time price. Read it
- NotchStar vs PastePal
- PastePal is a dedicated clipboard manager with iCloud sync and 75+ text transforms, free with a $14.99 Pro; NotchStar is a $4 app where clipboard history is one of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs PromptSmart
- PromptSmart Pro is a full window teleprompter that follows your voice and imports many file types for $29.99; NotchStar's Teleprompter is a fixed speed scroll in the notch within a $4 toolbox. Read it
- NotchStar vs QuackScreen
- QuackScreen is a capture app for the notch with screen recording, screenshots and an annotation editor, for EUR 20 on macOS 26; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox that catches screenshots but does not capture. Read it
- NotchStar vs Raycast
- Raycast is a launcher whose clipboard history keeps 3 months on the free plan and is unlimited on Pro at $10 a month; NotchStar is a $4 once app where clipboard history is one of ten notch tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs Sapphire
- Sapphire is a free, AGPL licensed notch app with Face ID, window snapping, a lock screen and a big free feature set, plus monthly AI and live data plans from $15.99; NotchStar is a $4 one time toolbox with none of those. Read it
- NotchStar vs Seam
- Seam is a Dynamic Island style surface with live activities, a lock screen display, coding agent progress and on device voice dictation for $19.90 on Apple silicon; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools you open on purpose. Read it
- NotchStar vs Session
- Session is the dedicated focus timer, with website and app blocking, calendar sync and AppleScript, on a $4.99 monthly or $39.99 yearly plan; NotchStar has simpler Pomodoro timers for $4 once. Read it
- NotchStar vs Shottr
- Shottr captures and annotates screenshots with OCR and scrolling capture at a pay what you want price; NotchStar does not capture, and its $4 Screenshot Tray only holds macOS screenshots. Read it
- NotchStar vs Stats
- Stats is a free, open source menu bar monitor with sensors, GPU, Bluetooth and a clock; NotchStar is a $4 closed source toolbox where system stats is one of ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs SuperIsland
- SuperIsland is a free app with live activities, a JavaScript extension SDK and store, and meeting join links, but it needs a physical notch and has had no release since June 2026; NotchStar is $4 once with ten tools. Read it
- NotchStar vs TopNotch
- TopNotch, a free app from the CleanShot team, makes the camera housing blend into a black menu bar; its last release was June 2023. NotchStar keeps the notch visible and puts ten tools around it. Read it
- NotchStar vs Tuneful
- Tuneful is a focused $4.99 music controller for Spotify and Apple Music that needs macOS 15; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools with Now Playing as one of them. Read it
- NotchStar vs Vibe Notch
- Vibe Notch, formerly Claude Island, is an Apache 2.0 open source app for monitoring Claude Code and approving permissions from the notch; NotchStar has no agent monitoring. Read it
- NotchStar vs Xnapper
- Xnapper beautifies and redacts screenshots from $29.99 with a year of updates; NotchStar does not capture, and its $4 Screenshot Tray only holds screenshots macOS already took. Read it
- NotchStar vs Yoink
- Yoink is a long established drag shelf with clipboard history and an iOS companion at $8.99 once with a 28 day trial; NotchStar is a $4 app whose shelf is one of ten tools. Read it
- Atoll alternatives
- Every option next to Atoll, with price and macOS support. See the alternatives
- Best Mac notch apps
- A neutral roundup of the options. Read the guide
Put your notch to work.
Buy it once for $4, activate it in a minute, and keep it. Not sure yet? Try every tool in the browser on the home page, or install the 7 day trial.