Guide

Boring Notch alternatives

By Donncha O'Toole · Updated 7 October 2026

If you like Boring Notch but want something under more active development, try Atoll, which is also free and open source. If you want a notarised paid app with polished media controls, try Alcove. NotchNest comes from the Mac App Store, and Notchbird is the pick if you want agent alerts and focus tools rather than music.

We make Notchbird, one of the apps below, so weigh our view accordingly. Every fact here comes from each product's own site, README, changelog or GitHub, read on 7 October 2026, and is linked under Sources. We have not benchmarked the other apps. Email [email protected] if something has changed and we will correct it.

The usual reasons, and what fixes each

"macOS won't open it"

Boring Notch isn't notarised. Its README says the team doesn't have an Apple Developer account yet, so you have to remove the quarantine flag with xattr before it runs. Any of the paid apps here install with a normal double-click, as does NotchNest from the App Store.

"It hasn't been updated"

The last stable release, 2.7.3, came out on 24 November 2025. A 2.8 release candidate arrived on 25 September 2026. Hacker News commenters have recommended Atoll for that reason, and Atoll has had commits this week.

"It uses too much CPU"

Users have reported high CPU use and battery drain, and the 2.8 release candidate lists fixes for high CPU utilisation. If this is your reason, check the release notes before switching, because the fix may already be on its way. Paid apps make claims about efficiency; Notchbird publishes measured budgets (0.05% CPU at rest, 64 MB) on its trust page.

"I want something it doesn't do"

Boring Notch has no Pomodoro timer, which its users have asked for, and no clipboard history. Atoll adds clipboard and timers; NotchNest adds Pomodoro and clipboard; Notchbird adds Pomodoro, a teleprompter under the camera and AI agent alerts.

Alternatives compared

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Two more paid options

DynamicLake Pro has the widest feature list of the paid apps, with meeting alerts, file tools and a pill mode for external displays. One AlternativeTo reviewer who went back to Boring Notch called it "full of features, but very unstable", so use its trial before you commit. Droppy is the cheapest paid app at $9.99 once for two Macs, with a shelf, clipboard and HUDs; its GitHub repository was blocked in February 2026 after Atoll's author alleged copied code.

Notchbird, if you work rather than listen

Notchbird keeps Boring Notch's file shelf and AirDrop, then goes a different way. It has a spoken morning plan, Pomodoro timers in the notch, generated noise, audio switching with a mute-everywhere button, AirPods battery and alerts from Claude Code and Codex. It has no music controls, calendar, HUD replacement or camera mirror, so it's a poor swap if those are what you use Boring Notch for.

Stay with Boring Notch if

You want free and open source, the quarantine step doesn't bother you, and you mainly use music, calendar and the shelf. Version 2.8 may fix what's bugging you. The wider field is in the best MacBook notch apps.

Sources

• Boring Notch on GitHub
• Boring Notch 2.8 release candidate
• Boring Notch issue 950: Pomodoro request
• Hacker News: comment recommending Atoll
• Atoll on GitHub
• Alcove
• NotchNest on the Mac App Store
• AlternativeTo: Boring Notch reviews
• Droppy
• GitHub DMCA notice concerning Droppy, February 2026

Common questions

Why won't Boring Notch open on my Mac?

Boring Notch is not notarised, so macOS blocks it. Its README explains how to remove the quarantine flag with xattr. Notarised alternatives open normally.

Is Boring Notch still being updated?

The last stable release was 2.7.3 in November 2025, and a 2.8 release candidate came out on 25 September 2026 with fixes for high CPU use.

What is the best free alternative to Boring Notch?

Atoll. It is free and open source, adds clipboard history, timers and system stats, and is under active development.