Notcher vs NotchNook, Boring Notch and Alcove

How these apps differ

They all do the same thing at heart: make the unused notch of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air useful. The differences are scope, pricing and how much access an app takes on your system.

To keep this page accurate we only describe Notcher in detail. For the others we point you to what their makers publish themselves — features and prices change, so check with them directly: NotchNook, Boring Notch, Alcove.

Reasons to pick Notcher

• Free, no account. Direct DMG download, no e-mail, no sign-up, no tracking, no cookie banner.
• Broad feature set. Music, focus, shelf, clipboard history with ten filters, notes, workspaces, weather, camera mirror, menu bar apps, autostart.
• Restrained by default. Menu bar integration and app hints are off until you enable them; clipboard history opens only on ⌃ V.
• Local where it matters. Clipboard history, notes, drafts, shelf and settings stay on the Mac.
• Try before downloading. The interactive browser preview shows the real interface.

Reasons against Notcher

• Not notarized. Locally signed only; macOS may warn on first launch.
• Test build. An early version, not a long-established product.
• Apple silicon only. The provided file is not a universal binary.
• macOS 14+. Older systems are unsupported; hiding menu bar groups is disabled on macOS 27+.
• Depends on other apps. Not every menu bar app can be driven through accessibility.

In short

If you want a free, feature-rich notch app and can live with an early, non-notarized build, Notcher is a good pick. If you need a notarized, long-maintained app with support, look at the commercial alternatives. All features are listed on the features page.

Frequently asked questions