Kitsmith / Compare / NotchNook vs boring.notch
MacNotchNook vs boring.notch
NotchNook vs boring.notch: verdict, pricing, and specs compared, so you can pick the right one for your Mac.
At a glance
NotchNook
$25 one-time (or $3/mo)The feature-maximal island: file shelf, widgets, live activities, and deep customization.
boring.notch
FreeFree, open-source island with media controls and small utilities — the no-commitment entry point.
Spec comparison
NotchNook
- Price
- $25 one-time (or $3/mo)
- Pricing model
- Paid
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Notch
- Channels
- Direct · Setapp
- Category
- Hubs
boring.notch
- Price
- Free
- Pricing model
- Free
- License
- Open source
- Placement
- Notch
- Channels
- Direct · GitHub · Homebrew
- Category
- Hubs
The verdict
boring.notch is free, open source, and minimalist — the zero-risk way to see if you like living with a notch hub at all. NotchNook costs roughly $25 and goes the opposite direction: a file shelf, widgets, live activities, and deep customization you can tune for hours. Try boring.notch first; move to NotchNook once you know you want to go deeper.
Which one should you pick?
Pick NotchNook if…
- Pick NotchNook if you want a file shelf, not just widgets and live activities
- Pick NotchNook if you like customizing colors, widget layouts, and animation speeds
- Pick NotchNook if you’ve outgrown boring.notch’s minimalism
- Pick NotchNook if ≈$25 one-time is worth it for the extra depth
Pick boring.notch if…
- Pick boring.notch if you want to spend nothing to try a hub
- Pick boring.notch if you prefer free, open-source software
- Pick boring.notch if a minimalist feature set — media controls, small utilities — is all you need
- Pick boring.notch if you’re not ready to commit to a power-user tool yet
NotchNook vs boring.notch — questions people ask
Is NotchNook worth paying for over the free option?
It depends on whether you want NotchNook’s file shelf and deep customization — boring.notch covers media controls and small utilities for free.
Can I run NotchNook and boring.notch together?
No — both are Hubs that draw at the notch, so only one runs at a time.
Which of the two is open source?
boring.notch — it’s free and open source. NotchNook isn’t listed as open source.