Boring Notch is the free, open-source notch app most people start with, and for good reason: it is free, it runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel, and it covers music, a file shelf and system HUDs. If you are reading this, you probably like the idea but have hit one of its edges.
Quick disclosure: we make OneNotch, one of the apps below. Boring Notch is genuinely good, so we start with where it is still the right call. Prices and features were checked against each app's own pages on September 30, 2026; check them again before you buy.
Where Boring Notch is still the right call
- You want free and open source. It is GPL-3.0, with around 10,900 stars on GitHub, so you can read the code and follow development.
- You are on an older Mac or macOS. It runs on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel. OneNotch needs macOS 15 on Apple Silicon.
- You want a file shelf with AirDrop. It includes one, along with music controls and a visualizer, calendar, weather and replacement volume and brightness HUDs.
Why people look for a Boring Notch alternative
It is not notarized. The developers do not have an Apple Developer account, so macOS shows a security warning and you have to allow the app manually the first time, in Terminal or System Settings. You can also install it with Homebrew. It is a small step, but it puts some people off.
It is less polished. Some users report occasional bugs and higher memory use when the music visualizer is on, which you would expect from a community project.
It stops at media and a shelf. Boring Notch does not list a clipboard manager, translation, screenshot tools or AI-agent status in its features.
The Boring Notch alternatives
1. Atoll (free, open source)
Atoll is built on the Boring Notch code and adds clipboard history, a color picker, timers, live CPU, GPU, memory and network stats, and lock-screen widgets. It is GPL v3 with around 4,800 stars. It needs a MacBook with a physical notch (14-inch or 16-inch models with Apple silicon, per its README), so it will not run on a Mac mini or an external display alone.
Pick it if: you want to stay free and open source and gain clipboard history and system stats.
2. Alcove ($14.99 one-time)
Alcove is the polished one: smooth Live Activities, lock-screen widgets and swipe gestures, signed and ready to install, after a 72-hour trial. It has no file shelf and no clipboard manager, and it is reported to need macOS 15 or later. See the direct Alcove vs Boring Notch comparison.
Pick it if: polish matters more than price.
3. Droppy ($9.99 list price, one-time)
Droppy is a drop shelf with a clipboard manager, meeting controls, a focus timer and a long list of built-in extensions. It costs $9.99 once for two devices, with a 3-day trial and a 14-day refund window, and runs on macOS 14 or later.
Pick it if: you want Boring Notch's shelf idea plus a clipboard manager, as a paid app with a trial.
4. NotchNook ($25 one-time or $3/month)
NotchNook is the most established paid dashboard: a file tray, widgets and Shortcuts. It is $25 once for five devices, or $3 a month for two, and needs macOS 14.6 or later.
Pick it if: you want the broadest, most customizable dashboard.
5. OneNotch (free, Pro is a one-time upgrade)
OneNotch has a free tier and a notarized download, and it adds what Boring Notch does not list: a deep clipboard manager, screenshots and OCR, translation, file actions and AI-agent status for Claude Code and Codex. Pro is a one-time purchase at $9.99 lifetime, or $6.99 with code LAUNCH30. It needs macOS 15 on Apple Silicon, works on Macs without a notch through Pill mode, and does not keep a persistent file shelf.
Pick it if: you want a free start with a signed install and clipboard, screenshots and AI agents in the same notch.
Boring Notch alternatives compared
| Boring Notch | Atoll | Alcove | Droppy | NotchNook | OneNotch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | $14.99 | $9.99 | $25 or $3/mo | Free · Pro $9.99 lifetime, or $6.99 with code LAUNCH30 |
| Open source | GPL-3.0 | GPL v3 | No | No | No | No |
| Notarized by Apple | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | 14+ | 14+ | 15+ | 14+ | 14.6+ | 15+ (Apple Silicon) |
| File shelf | Yes | — | No | Yes | Yes | No, file actions instead |
| Clipboard manager | — | Yes | No | Yes | — | Yes |
| AI-agent status | — | — | No | — | No | Yes |
A dash means the feature is not in that app's own feature list or we could not confirm it.
The pick for each situation
- Nothing bothers you about it. Stay with Boring Notch.
- The unsigned install is the problem. NotchNook, Alcove and OneNotch install without that warning.
- You want free plus more features. Atoll on a notched MacBook, or OneNotch's free tier on macOS 15.
- You want more polish. Alcove.
- You want clipboard, screenshots and AI agents. OneNotch. Our list of the best free notch apps and the full roundup cover the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Is Boring Notch safe?
It is open source under GPL-3.0, so anyone can read the code. It is not notarized by Apple, which is why macOS shows a security warning and you have to allow it manually on first launch. Only install it from the official GitHub releases or Homebrew.
Is there a free alternative to Boring Notch?
Yes. Atoll is free and open source and adds clipboard history and system stats, but needs a MacBook with a notch. OneNotch has a free tier with clipboard history, file actions, screenshots and AI-agent status, and needs macOS 15 on Apple Silicon.
Does Boring Notch work on macOS Sonoma?
Yes. Boring Notch runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and later, on Apple Silicon and Intel.
Does Boring Notch have a clipboard manager?
Not in its own feature list. Atoll, which is built on its code, does have clipboard history, and so do Droppy and OneNotch.
Does Boring Notch drain battery?
Any notch app that animates music uses some power while it plays, and users report higher memory use with Boring Notch's visualizer turned on. Check Activity Monitor's CPU and Energy tabs, and see how we measured our own app.
