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.
| NotchStar | QuackScreen | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4 once, with a 7 day trial, up to 3 Macs, 7 day refund | EUR 20 lifetime license (EUR 30 struck through); one license covers two Macs and future updates; no subscription; priced in euros, USD not stated |
| Free version | 7 day full trial | A free version adds a watermark and caps recordings at 3 minutes |
| Refund | 7 days | Reply to the receipt within 3 days if it does not work as expected |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 14 or later | macOS 26 (Tahoe) |
| Apple silicon and Intel | Both | Apple silicon only |
| Screen recording | Not listed | Included Records from the notch, with cursor following zoom |
| Takes screenshots | Not listed The Screenshot Tray catches the screenshots macOS makes; it does not capture | Included With an annotation editor: pen, arrow, rectangle, highlight and blur |
| Screenshots held in the notch | Included Up to 12, each for 5 minutes, drag out to any app | Included Drag clips and screenshots from the notch into other apps |
| Clipboard history | Included 50 items, kept in memory only | Not listed Not stated on the page read |
| Now playing, calendar and timers | Included | Not listed Not stated on the page read |
| Teleprompter and camera mirror | Included Fixed speed scroll, and a mirror tab | Not listed Not stated on the page read |
| Account | None needed | None required |
Sources: QuackScreen 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.
QuackScreen at a glance.
- Made by
- Not named on the page; the download links point to a GitHub repository under NFxAI, which is unconfirmed
- Who it suits
- Someone on macOS 26 who wants recording and screenshots from the notch.
- Price
- One time purchase. Lifetime license EUR 20 (EUR 30 struck through). One license covers two Macs and all future updates; no subscription. The free version has a watermark and a 3 minute recording cap. Refund: reply to the receipt within 3 days if it does not work as expected. The price is in euros and USD is not stated.
- Needs
- macOS 26 or later. Apple silicon only.
- License
- Not stated
- Release history
- The page shows a version in its download link and no release history. Latest listed: 1.1.0, not stated. Source
QuackScreen is one of the 62 apps counted in our pricing statistics and requirements statistics.
Strengths
- Screen recording and screenshots live in the notch.
- A cursor following zoom while recording.
- One license for two Macs, with no subscription.
- An annotation editor with pen, arrow, rectangle, highlight and blur.
Limits
- It needs macOS 26 and Apple silicon.
- The free version caps recordings at 3 minutes and adds a watermark.
- Narrow scope: capture only, with no other notch tools listed.
- The maker, the license and the release date are not stated.
Choose QuackScreen if…
- You want to record your screen and take annotated screenshots from the notch.
- You are on macOS 26 and an Apple silicon Mac.
- You like a cursor following zoom while recording.
Choose NotchStar if…
- You are on macOS 14 or later, or on an Intel Mac, which QuackScreen does not support.
- You want a toolbox: clipboard, shelf with AirDrop, calendar, timers, teleprompter, mirror, system stats and disk tools.
- You want a 7 day full trial rather than a free version with a watermark.
The verdict.
These apps overlap only at screenshots, and QuackScreen goes further there: it captures, records and annotates. NotchStar's Screenshot Tray only holds screenshots macOS has already made. Choose QuackScreen if capture is the job and your Mac runs macOS 26 on Apple silicon. Choose NotchStar if you want a wider set of tools for $4. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
What QuackScreen is
QuackScreen is a capture app for the Mac notch. Its website says it records your screen and takes screenshots from the notch, with an annotation editor (pen, arrow, rectangle, highlight and blur) and a zoom that follows the cursor while you record. You can drag clips and screenshots from the notch into other apps.
It needs macOS 26 (Tahoe) and Apple silicon. A lifetime license is EUR 20, with EUR 30 shown struck through, for two Macs and all future updates. A free version adds a watermark and stops recording at 3 minutes. The page does not name a maker.
Who it suits
Someone who records walkthroughs, bug reports or tutorials and wants the controls in the notch rather than a separate recorder. It suits a Mac already on macOS 26 with an Apple silicon chip.
What QuackScreen does that NotchStar does not
It records the screen and takes screenshots. NotchStar does neither. Its Screenshot Tray only holds the screenshots macOS has already made.
It has an annotation editor with blur, and a cursor following zoom for recordings.
What NotchStar does that QuackScreen does not list
NotchStar covers ground QuackScreen does not mention: clipboard history, a shelf with an AirDrop zone, calendar and reminders, timers, a teleprompter, a camera mirror, system stats, quick notes and disk tools.
It runs on macOS 14 or later and on Intel, where QuackScreen needs macOS 26 and Apple silicon. Its trial gives you every tool for 7 days without a watermark or a recording cap.
Switching from QuackScreen to NotchStar
This is not a like for like swap. If you record your screen, keep a recorder. The Screenshot Tray works with screenshots macOS makes, so you take them with the system shortcut and NotchStar keeps up to 12 under the notch for 5 minutes each.
Your existing recordings and screenshots are ordinary files, so nothing needs importing.
What we could not verify
We have not tested QuackScreen ourselves. This page uses its website only, read on 4 November 2026.
We could not confirm the maker, the license, the release date of version 1.1.0, or any feature the page does not mention. The page showed a June 2026 launch promo code, which may be out of date, so we do not quote it. Prices are in euros as the page states them.
Questions.
How much does QuackScreen cost?
Its website lists a EUR 20 lifetime license, with EUR 30 struck through, covering two Macs and future updates. It does not state a USD price. A free version adds a watermark and caps recordings at 3 minutes. Prices as of 4 November 2026.
Does QuackScreen work on Intel or older macOS?
No. Its website says it needs macOS 26 (Tahoe) and Apple silicon. NotchStar runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel.
Does NotchStar record the screen?
No. NotchStar's Screenshot Tray catches the screenshots macOS makes and keeps them under the notch for a few minutes. It does not capture or record anything.
Who makes QuackScreen?
The page does not name a maker. Its download links point to a GitHub repository under the name NFxAI, but we could not confirm that is the maker.
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
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- NotchStar vs Alfred
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- NotchStar vs Atoll
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- NotchStar vs Bartender
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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 DropNotch
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- 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 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
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- NotchStar vs NotchBar
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- NotchStar vs NotchBox
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- NotchStar vs NotchDrop
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- NotchStar vs Notchet
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- 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
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- NotchStar vs NotchNest
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- NotchStar vs NotchThings
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- NotchStar vs OmniNotch
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- NotchStar vs OneNotch
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- 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 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
- QuackScreen alternatives
- Every option next to QuackScreen, 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.