NOTCHCAFE / ALTERNATIVES
Choosing a notch app for your Mac.
NotchNook, boring.notch, and NotchCafe all turn the MacBook notch into a small, useful space. They focus on different things. Here’s an honest look to help you choose.
Choose NotchCafe if you want a calmer workday
NotchCafe covers the everyday basics: music controls, a file shelf, calendar countdowns with meeting links, and notes. Then it adds atmosphere:
- An offline LoFi studio with nine animated scenes and a mixer.
- A focus timer with a Focus Garden that grows as you work.
- Companion pets that nap, climb, and wear raincoats.
- Rainy Mood, cozy scenes, local weather, and song lyrics.
Choose NotchNook if you want AirDrop and shortcuts
NotchNook by lo.cafe is a paid app known for media controls, a file tray with AirDrop, a webcam mirror, widgets, and custom shortcuts. Check its website for current pricing and features.
Choose boring.notch if you want free and open source
boring.notch is free and open source (GPL-3.0). It offers music controls with a visualizer, calendar, a file shelf with AirDrop, and macOS HUD replacement, and it runs on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
At a glance
| NotchCafe | |
|---|---|
| Price | 7-day free trial, then $5/month or $30 once |
| Requirements | macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon. Works on Macs without a notch, too. |
| Music | Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and YouTube Music (Chrome or Safari) |
| Everyday tools | File shelf (up to 50 items), searchable notes, calendar with Zoom, Meet, and Teams links, Live Activities, Do Not Sleep |
| Atmosphere | Offline LoFi studio, cozy scenes, Rainy Mood, local weather, companion pets |
| Not included | AirDrop, webcam mirror, custom shortcuts, Intel Macs |
Details about other apps come from their public pages as of September 2026 and may change. NotchNook and boring.notch are the trademarks of their respective owners; 24hr.cafe isn’t affiliated with them.
Try NotchCafe free for 7 days.
Native Mac app · macOS 14 or later · Apple Silicon · Works without a notch, too. Your trial never charges automatically.