NotchStar 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 | NotchSpace | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4 once, with a 7 day trial, up to 3 Macs | Free, per its Mac App Store page |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 15.0 or later; chips not listed |
| Menu bar manager | Not listed | Included Hold Command to rearrange icons, and collapse left side items |
| App launch bar in the notch | Not listed | Included Pin frequently used apps to the notch |
| Temporary file shelf | Included With AirDrop | Included Files, images, videos, text, links and color cards |
| Quick Look previews in the notch | Not listed | Included |
| Image compression | Not listed | Included Balanced and extreme modes, optional EXIF removal |
| Break reminder | Not listed | Included Full screen starfield after long focus sessions |
| Clipboard history | Included | Not listed Its listing says it is not a clipboard tool and does not record automatically |
| Now playing | Included | Not listed Not stated on its listing |
| Calendar and reminders | Included | Not listed Not stated on its listing |
| Timers and Pomodoro | Included | Not listed Not stated on its listing; it has break reminders |
| Teleprompter and camera mirror | Included | Not listed Not stated on its listing |
Sources: NotchSpace on the Mac App Store (checked 4 November 2026), Apple lookup record for the listing (release date, version, price, minimum macOS) (checked 4 November 2026), Support page named by the listing's privacy policy link (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.
NotchSpace at a glance.
- Made by
- Listed on the Mac App Store as Houma Econimic Development Zone Jianmin Decoration Material Co., Ltd. (spelling as listed); the copyright line reads Dudu Studio. The listing links no developer website.
- Who it suits
- A Mac user on macOS 15 or later with a crowded menu bar who wants a free temporary shelf, a launch bar for pinned apps and a break reminder, and does not need clipboard history.
- Price
- Free. Free on the Mac App Store. The listing mentions no in app purchases, no trial and no subscription. Apple's page gives no refund terms beyond its standard store policy.
- Needs
- macOS 15 or later. Not stated.
- License
- Not stated
- Release history
- 12 versions listed between 1 June and 6 October 2026, none between 12 July and 14 September. Latest listed: 26.10.1, 6 October 2026. Source
NotchSpace is one of the 62 apps counted in our pricing statistics and requirements statistics.
Strengths
- Free, with the Mac App Store privacy label reading Data Not Collected and the listing saying content is processed and stored locally.
- A menu bar manager: hold Command to rearrange icons, and a button collapses left side items into the left of the notch.
- A launch bar that pins frequently used apps to the notch.
- Image compression with balanced and extreme modes and optional EXIF removal, plus Quick Look previews in the notch.
- Small download of 2.2 MB, native SwiftUI, and imports use APFS hard links so they do not duplicate disk space, per the listing.
Limits
- Requires macOS 15.0 or later; the listing does not state whether Intel Macs are supported.
- Says it is not a clipboard tool and does not record anything automatically, so there is no clipboard history.
- Listing languages are English and Simplified Chinese only.
- The listing shows no rating overview and one review, and names no developer website, only a privacy policy link.
- Version 26.6.1 shows the same release note as 26.10.1, which looks like a listing error, so its early history is unclear.
Choose NotchSpace if…
- You want to reorder or collapse crowded menu bar icons from the notch.
- You want to pin apps in a launch bar and keep a temporary shelf, and pay nothing.
- You prefer to install from the Mac App Store on macOS 15 or later.
Choose NotchStar if…
- You want clipboard history, now playing, calendar, timers and a teleprompter in the notch.
- You are on macOS 14 and need support for it.
- You want a file shelf with AirDrop and a screenshot tray.
The verdict.
NotchSpace is free and covers the shelf, launch bar and menu bar jobs. NotchStar covers neither the launch bar nor menu bar icons, but adds more everyday tools for $4. Choose NotchSpace for menu bar management and app launching, NotchStar for the wider toolbox.
What NotchSpace is
NotchSpace is a free utility on the Mac App Store, subtitled Storage, Launcher, Menu Bar. The seller is listed as Houma Econimic Development Zone Jianmin Decoration Material Co., Ltd., the copyright line reads Dudu Studio, and the listing links no developer website. It is a different product from the paid one at notchspace.com. The listing’s privacy policy link points to a support page at dockland.vercel.app, which describes a notch app called Dockland by BabyDu. The app’s bundle identifier and icon file name also say dockland. We take that to mean NotchSpace was or is also called Dockland, but nothing on the listing states it.
The size is 2.2 MB, the price is free, and the listing mentions no in app purchases. The minimum is macOS 15.0, and chips are not listed.
Release history comes from Apple’s version list. It shows 12 versions from 1 June 2026, the first release date, to 26.10.1 on 6 October 2026: five in June, three in July, then nothing until three in September and one in October. The gap between 12 July and 14 September is 64 days. The early notes are about stability and a redesigned quick launcher, the July ones add the temporary shelf and folder monitoring, and the September and October ones concern break reminders and work time charts. The 1 June entry repeats the October note, which looks like a listing error.
Who it suits
A Mac user with a crowded menu bar. The notch hides icons on a notched MacBook, and a manager that reorders them and collapses the left side into the notch addresses that directly.
Someone who wants a staging area rather than a history. The listing calls it an actively managed staging area where you drag things in, and says nothing is recorded automatically. If you dislike a clipboard tool remembering everything you copy, this is by design.
A developer or designer who handles colors and images. It detects HEX colors and makes cards with HEX and RGB copy, formats code snippets in a monospaced view, and compresses images with an option to strip EXIF metadata.
A person who works long sessions and wants a nudge to stop. Break reminders and the 7 day and 30 day work time views are the most active part of its recent releases.
It suits people on macOS 15 or later who prefer to install from the Mac App Store.
What NotchSpace does that NotchStar does not
Menu bar manager. Per the listing, you hold Command to drag and rearrange menu bar icons, and click a button to collapse left side items into the left side of the notch. NotchStar leaves the menu bar alone. This is a real gap if the notch is hiding icons from apps you use.
Launch bar. It pins frequently used apps in the notch. NotchStar launches nothing.
Quick Look. Tap or press Space to preview files, images and web content in the notch. NotchStar’s shelf shows icons and names, and drag out opens nothing.
Image processing. Balanced and extreme compression with optional EXIF removal. NotchStar’s disk tools recompress photos over 2 MB and videos over 50 MB, but it has no metadata removal.
Folder monitoring and Smart Shelf. The July releases added custom folder monitoring and a shelf you summon by shaking the mouse. NotchStar’s shelf opens when you drag a file toward the notch, with no shake gesture and no folder watching.
Break and work time tracking. A full screen starfield break reminder, today’s total work time, and 7 day and 30 day charts. NotchStar has a Pomodoro timer, which is a different tool, and tracks no work hours.
Price. NotchSpace is free and NotchStar is $4 after a 7 day trial.
What NotchStar does that NotchSpace does not list
The listing does not mention clipboard history, now playing, calendar and reminders, timers, a teleprompter, camera mirror, system stats, quick notes or disk tools. Absence from a listing is not proof that a feature is missing.
The clipboard is a deliberate difference. NotchSpace says it is not a clipboard tool. NotchStar keeps the 50 most recent items in memory, skips anything a password manager marks as concealed, and clears everything when it quits.
Now playing reads the system Now Playing service, so artwork and controls reach whichever app is playing. Calendar and reminders shows today and tomorrow with calendar colors and lets you tick reminders off, but cannot create events. Timers has Timer, Stopwatch and Pomodoro, and keeps accurate time with the notch closed. The teleprompter puts a script beside the camera. System stats shows CPU, memory, disk, battery and network speed once a second while the tab is open.
The shelf adds AirDrop: drop files on the AirDrop zone and the macOS picker opens with them attached. The shelf holds references, not copies, and empties when NotchStar quits. The screenshot tray holds the latest 12 for five minutes. NotchStar runs on macOS 14 and Apple silicon or Intel.
Limits we state about ourselves: no menu bar management, no live activities in the closed notch, no lock screen widgets, no window snapping.
Switching from NotchSpace to NotchStar
Day one is simple. Install from our download, which is signed and notarized, and you have 7 days to try every tab. The shelf starts empty, and there is no launch bar or menu bar manager.
You give up the menu bar manager, launch bar, Quick Look, compression with EXIF removal and the break reminder. If the menu bar manager is your reason for using NotchSpace, keep it and add NotchStar for the other tools, provided your Mac runs macOS 15. We have not checked whether the two coexist.
Little carries over. The listing describes no export, and the shelf is temporary, so move anything you need into Finder first. Pinned apps and menu bar order are set up again in whatever tool you use next.
What we could not verify
We have not tested NotchSpace ourselves. This page rests on its Mac App Store listing and Apple’s public record of it, read on 4 November 2026.
- The developer. The seller name and copyright line differ, and no developer website is linked. The Dockland link is an inference from the privacy policy host and bundle identifier.
- Whether it runs on Intel Macs. The listing does not state its chips.
- Its license and whether it is open source.
- Whether it has an unlisted feature such as now playing or timers.
- Whether the privacy label is accurate. Apple says it has not verified it.
- The early release notes. Version 26.6.1 repeats a later note.
- User experience. The listing shows no ratings and one review.
- Whether the free price is permanent. The listing mentions no in app purchases today.
Questions.
Is NotchSpace free?
Its Mac App Store page lists the price as free and mentions no in app purchases. Check the page for current terms before installing.
Does NotchSpace collect data?
Its Mac App Store privacy label says Data Not Collected, as stated by the developer. Apple notes that this has not been verified by Apple.
Is NotchSpace open source?
Its Mac App Store page does not state a license or link to source code.
Does NotchSpace have clipboard history?
No. Its listing says it is not a clipboard tool and does not passively record what you copy. You choose what to drag into the notch.
More comparisons.
- NotchStar vs AgentNotch
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- NotchStar vs Alcove
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- NotchStar vs Brow
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- NotchStar vs ChocolateBar
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- NotchStar vs CleanShot X
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- NotchStar vs Crest
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- NotchStar vs CueNotch
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- NotchStar vs DaisyDisk
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- 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
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- NotchStar vs Dropzone
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- NotchStar vs Dynamic Notch
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- NotchStar vs DynamicLake
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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 MacNotch
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- NotchStar vs MewNotch
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- NotchStar vs Notch Buddy
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- NotchStar vs Notchi
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- NotchStar vs Notchie
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- NotchStar vs Notchmeister
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- NotchStar vs NotchNest
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- 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
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- NotchStar vs Session
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- 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
- NotchSpace alternatives
- Every option next to NotchSpace, 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.
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