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.
| NotchStar | NotchPop | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4 once, with a 7 day trial, up to 3 Macs, 7 day refund | Free with no subscription and no login, per its website; it links tip and sponsor pages. No trial or refund is stated |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| License | Closed source | MIT, source on GitHub |
| Account | No account | Not required |
| Clipboard history | Included 50 items, kept in memory only | Included A clipboard widget |
| File shelf | Included | Included A shelf you open by dragging |
| AirDrop | Included An AirDrop zone on the shelf | Not listed Not stated; its page mentions AirPods battery only |
| Now playing | Included | Included Apple Music and Spotify |
| Calendar | Included Today and tomorrow, read only | Included Shows the next events today |
| Timers and Pomodoro | Included | Included Stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro |
| System stats | Included CPU, memory, disk, battery, network | Included CPU, RAM and disk |
| Live activities beside the notch | Not listed | Included A pill beside the notch during music or Pomodoro |
| Screenshots | Included A Screenshot Tray under the notch | Partly A Quick Actions shortcut |
| Teleprompter | Included Fixed speed scroll | Not listed Not stated |
| Camera mirror | Included | Not listed Not stated |
Sources: NotchPop website (checked 4 November 2026), NotchPop on GitHub (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.
NotchPop at a glance.
- Made by
- bendawg2010, a GitHub account; no person or company is named on its page
- Who it suits
- A budget minded Mac user who wants a free, open source, all in one notch widget set.
- Price
- Free. Website, 4 November 2026: free, no subscription, no login. It links tip and sponsor pages. No trial or refund is stated.
- Needs
- macOS 14 or later. Apple silicon and Intel.
- License
- MIT
- Release history
- Not stated. GitHub's latest release is v1.5.49 while the website shows v1.5.44, so the website looks out of date; the newest release is about five months before 4 November 2026.. Latest listed: v1.5.49, 13 May 2026. Source
NotchPop is one of the 62 apps counted in our pricing statistics and requirements statistics.
Strengths
- Free, MIT licensed, with no login.
- Runs on Apple silicon and Intel, macOS 14 or later.
- A tiny download: about 1.9 MB for the DMG, per its website.
- Covers clipboard, shelf, music, calendar, timers and system stats, plus a pill beside the notch during music or Pomodoro.
Limits
- No privacy policy page is linked.
- AirDrop, a teleprompter, a camera mirror, window snapping and extensions are not stated on its pages.
- The maker is not named on the page.
- The newest release is about five months old as of 4 November 2026.
Choose NotchPop if…
- You want a free app and open source code you can read.
- You want a pill beside the notch while music plays or a Pomodoro runs.
- You want a very small download: its website gives about 1.9 MB for the DMG.
Choose NotchStar if…
- You want a teleprompter, a camera mirror, quick notes and disk tools, none of which NotchPop lists.
- You want an AirDrop zone on the file shelf and a Screenshot Tray.
- You want a signed and notarized app, a stated privacy position and a release from this autumn: NotchStar 1.0.5 shipped on 12 October 2026.
The verdict.
NotchPop is the cheaper choice and the only open source one of the two. Its listed tools cover clipboard, shelf, music, calendar, timers and system stats. NotchStar costs $4 and adds a teleprompter, camera mirror, notes, disk tools and a screenshot tray. Choose NotchPop if free and open source decide it. Choose NotchStar if you need the extra tools. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
What NotchPop is
NotchPop is a free notch app for the Mac at notchpop.pages.dev, published by a GitHub account called bendawg2010. The page names no person or company. Its widgets are a clipboard, a shelf you open by dragging, a music widget for Apple Music and Spotify, a calendar that shows the next events today, stopwatch, countdown and Pomodoro timers, and CPU, RAM and disk readouts. A Quick Actions shortcut covers screenshots, and a pill appears beside the notch during music or a Pomodoro.
It runs on macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon and Intel, the same floor and chip coverage as NotchStar. The source is on GitHub under the MIT license.
Who it suits
NotchPop suits someone who wants the common notch tools for nothing and likes to read the code. The download is about 1.9 MB, and there is no login. If clipboard, shelf, music, calendar and timers are the whole list for you, it covers them at no cost.
What NotchPop does that NotchStar does not
It is free and open source. NotchStar is $4 and closed source.
It shows a live pill beside the notch while music plays or a Pomodoro runs. NotchStar shows nothing when the notch is closed.
What NotchStar does that NotchPop does not list
NotchStar lists ten tools. Beyond the overlap, it adds a teleprompter that scrolls at a set speed, a camera mirror, quick notes and disk tools that find duplicates, app leftovers and listening ports. NotchPop’s pages mention none of these.
Its shelf has an AirDrop zone. NotchPop’s page mentions AirPods battery but not AirDrop. NotchStar also has a Screenshot Tray: it keeps the latest 12 screenshots under the notch for five minutes, so you can drag several into a chat at once.
On trust, NotchStar is signed and notarized, has no account, and sends nothing unless you opt in to anonymous version info. NotchPop links no privacy policy page.
Switching from NotchPop to NotchStar
You pay $4 once for up to 3 Macs, with a 7 day trial and a 7 day refund. Nothing carries over from NotchPop, so set up NotchStar from scratch. Your calendar lives in macOS, so NotchStar reads it as soon as you grant access.
What we could not verify
Everything here comes from NotchPop’s website and GitHub repository, read on 4 November 2026. Third party search snippets say NotchPop shows Stripe sales and AI coding progress, but the official page we read did not mention either, so this page does not repeat them. Its website and GitHub disagree on the latest version.
Questions.
Is NotchPop free?
Its website says it is free, with no subscription and no login, and links tip and sponsor pages. It states no trial or refund.
Is NotchPop open source?
Yes. Its GitHub repository carries the MIT license. NotchStar is closed source.
Does NotchPop have a teleprompter or camera mirror?
Neither is mentioned on the pages we read. NotchStar has both: a teleprompter that scrolls at a set speed and a camera mirror.
Is NotchPop still updated?
GitHub lists v1.5.49 as the latest release, dated 13 May 2026, about five months before 4 November 2026. Its website still shows v1.5.44.
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
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- NotchStar vs Atoll
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- NotchStar vs Bartender
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- NotchStar vs Be Focused
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- 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
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- 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
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- 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
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- NotchStar vs Dynamic Notch
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- NotchStar vs DynamicHorizon
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- NotchStar vs DynamicLake
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- NotchStar vs Gojo
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- NotchStar vs Hidden Bar
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- NotchStar vs Ice
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- NotchStar vs iStat Menus
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- NotchStar vs Korinotch
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- NotchStar vs Maccy
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- 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
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- NotchStar vs MewNotch
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- 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 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
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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
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- 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
- NotchPop alternatives
- Every option next to NotchPop, 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.