# 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.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/vs/cuenotch/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Checked 4 November 2026.

|  | NotchStar | CueNotch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4 once, with a 7 day trial, up to 3 Macs, 7 day refund | Free with in app purchases: Pro Lifetime $29.99 or Pro Weekly $7.99 (per week, not per month); a three day Pro trial; the free tier allows three starts a day for scripts up to 100 words |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 or later | macOS 14.0 |
| Apple silicon and Intel | Both | Not stated on the page read |
| Teleprompter in the notch | Included. A tab beside the camera; a floating pill on a Mac without a notch | Included. Notch or floating prompter |
| Follows your voice | Not listed. Scrolls at a speed you set | Included. Voice following scroll |
| Hidden from screen sharing | Not listed. Not something NotchStar does | Included. Ghost Mode hides the prompter from screen sharing |
| Imports scripts | Not listed. Paste plain text; one script at a time | Included. PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Markdown |
| Apple Intelligence features | Not listed | Partly. Uses Apple Intelligence for polish; some features need it |
| Scripts stay on the Mac | Included. Stored in NotchStar's preferences, never uploaded | Included. Per its App Store listing |
| Other notch tools | Included. Nine more, from clipboard to disk tools | Not listed. The listing read mentions a teleprompter only |
| Data collection | No analytics unless you opt in; no account | Its App Store privacy label lists email, name and device ID linked to you |

Sources: [CueNotch on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/cuenotch/id6760926058) (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.

## CueNotch at a glance.

- **Made by:** Siddharth Radhakrishnan
- **Who it suits:** A presenter who wants a feature rich notch teleprompter and accepts in app purchases.
- **Price:** Free tier and paid plans. Free with in app purchases: Pro Lifetime $29.99 and Pro Weekly $7.99, which is per week and not per month. The free tier allows three starts a day for scripts up to 100 words, plus a three day Pro trial.
- **Needs:** macOS 14 or later. Not stated.
- **License:** Closed source
- **Release history:** Not stated beyond the latest version on its listing. Latest listed: 4.3.5, 24 October (year not shown). [Source](https://apps.apple.com/app/cuenotch/id6760926058)

CueNotch is one of the 62 apps counted in our [pricing statistics](https://www.notchstar.com/research/mac-notch-app-pricing/) and [requirements statistics](https://www.notchstar.com/research/mac-notch-app-requirements/).

### Strengths

- Ghost Mode hides the prompter from screen sharing.
- Imports PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Markdown.
- A lifetime option at $29.99.
- Scripts stay on the Mac.

### Limits

- A weekly subscription is available at $7.99.
- The free tier is tightly limited.
- The privacy label lists email, name and device ID linked to you.
- Some features need Apple Intelligence.

## Choose CueNotch if…

- You want voice following, Ghost Mode and script import from PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Markdown.
- You want a Mac App Store purchase, a lifetime option and Apple Intelligence polish.
- You accept in app purchases and a limited free tier.

## Choose NotchStar if…

- You want a flat $4 once instead of a $29.99 lifetime Pro or a $7.99 weekly plan.
- You want nine more tools in the same notch, and no account or data linked to you.
- A teleprompter at a set speed is enough, and you want a 7 day trial and refund.

## The verdict.

CueNotch does more as a teleprompter: voice following, Ghost Mode and script import. It costs more to unlock, at $29.99 for lifetime or $7.99 a week. NotchStar's teleprompter is simpler and sits in a $4 toolbox of ten tools. Choose CueNotch if prompting is the job and you will use the extras. Choose NotchStar if you want a low price and several tools. Prices as of 4 November 2026.

## What CueNotch is

CueNotch is a teleprompter for the Mac notch, made by Siddharth Radhakrishnan and sold on the Mac App Store. The listing describes a notch or floating prompter with voice following scroll, a Ghost Mode that hides it from screen sharing, imports from PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Markdown, and Apple Intelligence polish. It says scripts stay on the Mac. It needs macOS 14.0 or later.

It is free with in app purchases. Pro Lifetime is $29.99 and Pro Weekly is $7.99 per week. The free tier allows three starts a day for scripts up to 100 words, with a three day Pro trial. The listing shows version 4.3.5 from 24 October, with no year shown.

## Who it suits

Someone who prompts every day and wants the extras: speaking pace follows your voice, the audience cannot see the prompter, and a deck or a document becomes a script without retyping. It also suits people who prefer buying through the Mac App Store.

## What CueNotch does that NotchStar does not

Voice following scroll. Ghost Mode for screen sharing. Imports from PowerPoint, PDF, Word and Markdown. Apple Intelligence polish for scripts. A lifetime purchase through the App Store.

NotchStar's teleprompter scrolls at a set speed, takes pasted plain text, holds one script at a time and does not hide from a shared screen.

## What NotchStar does that CueNotch does not list

The rest of the toolbox: Now Playing, shelf with an AirDrop zone, clipboard history, calendar and reminders, quick notes, timers, a camera mirror, system stats and disk tools, plus a Screenshot Tray.

Price and data. NotchStar is $4 once for up to 3 Macs, with a 7 day trial and refund, no account, and no analytics unless you opt in. CueNotch's privacy label lists email, name and device ID linked to you.

## Switching from CueNotch to NotchStar

Think about whether you rely on voice following or Ghost Mode. NotchStar has neither. If you only need to read a script at a steady speed, it may be enough, and you get the other tools.

Copy your scripts out as text and paste them into the Teleprompter tab. A weekly CueNotch plan renews through the App Store, so cancel it there if you stop using it.

## What we could not verify

We have not tested CueNotch ourselves. This page uses its Mac App Store listing only, read on 4 November 2026. A search result gave version 3.0.5, but the listing says 4.3.5, so we use 4.3.5.

We could not confirm Intel support, whether an account is needed, the year of the latest release, or how Ghost Mode behaves in the apps you share from. AlternativeTo describes CueNotch as freemium one time, but the listing also has a weekly plan, so we show both.

## Questions.

### How much does CueNotch cost?

It is free with in app purchases on the Mac App Store: Pro Lifetime at $29.99 and Pro Weekly at $7.99 per week. The free tier allows three starts a day for scripts up to 100 words, and there is a three day Pro trial. Prices as of 4 November 2026.

### Does CueNotch hide from screen sharing?

Its App Store listing says Ghost Mode hides the prompter from screen sharing. NotchStar's teleprompter does not hide from screen sharing.

### Does NotchStar's teleprompter follow my voice?

No. It scrolls at a speed you set and does not listen to you. CueNotch lists voice following.

### Does CueNotch collect data?

Its App Store listing says scripts stay on the Mac, but its privacy label lists email, name and device ID linked to you.

## Related

- [NotchStar vs AgentNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Alcove](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Alfred](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Atoll](https://www.notchstar.com/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 vs Avocado](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Bartender](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Be Focused](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Boring Notch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Brow](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs ChocolateBar](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs CleanShot X](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Crest](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs DaisyDisk](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs DropNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Dropover](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Droppy](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Dropzone](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Dynamic Notch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs DynamicHorizon](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs DynamicLake](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Gojo](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Hidden Bar](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Ice](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs iStat Menus](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Korinotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Maccy](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs MacNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs MediaMate](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs MewNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Notch Buddy](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchBar](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchBox](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchDrop](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Notchet](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Notchi](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Notchie](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Notchmeister](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchNest](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchNook](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchPop](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchPrompter](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs NotchSpace](https://www.notchstar.com/vs/notchspace/): NotchSpace is a free notch shelf, app launch bar and menu bar manager on the Mac App Store, and it says it is not a clipboard tool; NotchStar does not manage menu bar icons but adds ten tools for $4.
- [NotchStar vs NotchThings](https://www.notchstar.com/vs/notchthings/): NotchThings has more modules, live indicators in the notch and AI usage tracking, and needs macOS 15.6 and a $6.99 unlock; NotchStar is a $4 toolbox of ten tools for macOS 14.
- [NotchStar vs OmniNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs OneNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Paste](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs PastePal](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs PromptSmart](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs QuackScreen](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Raycast](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Sapphire](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Seam](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Session](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Shottr](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Stats](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs SuperIsland](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs TopNotch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Tuneful](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Vibe Notch](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Xnapper](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [NotchStar vs Yoink](https://www.notchstar.com/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.
- [CueNotch alternatives](https://www.notchstar.com/alternatives/cuenotch/): Every option next to CueNotch, with price and macOS support.
- [Best Mac notch apps](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-mac-notch-apps/): A neutral roundup of the options.
