--- title: "Droppy vs NotchNook: an honest comparison" description: "Droppy and NotchNook both live at the top of your Mac. A feature by feature look at files, media, everyday tools and price, written by the maker of Droppy, with the bias declared upfront." canonical: "https://getdroppy.app/blog/droppy-vs-notchnook" last-updated: "2026-07-29" --- # Droppy vs NotchNook: an honest comparison [All posts](https://getdroppy.app/blog/) Comparisons Jordy Spruit July 29, 2026 8 min read ![Engraved bellflowers on periwinkle paper beneath the words Droppy vs NotchNook](https://getdroppy.app/assets/images/blog/cards/droppy-vs-notchnook.webp?v=2) Let's get the disclosure out of the way first: I make [Droppy](https://getdroppy.app/), so this is not a neutral review and it would be silly to pretend otherwise. What I can promise is accuracy. Every claim about NotchNook below comes from its public site and release notes, the comparison gives credit where it is due, and when NotchNook does something better, I say so. If you want the same data across all five major notch apps, the [full comparison matrix](https://getdroppy.app/compare?vs=notchnook) has it. NotchNook, by [lo.cafe](https://getnotchnook.com), deserves respect before it gets compared: it pioneered the widget notch. While most early notch apps stopped at media controls, NotchNook treated the notch as a little dashboard with a file tray and widgets, and it has kept shipping ever since. Version 1.6 added system HUDs, timers and a to-do widget. This is a maintained, polished app with a long track record, not a weekend project. ## What they agree on The overlap is real, and if you only want these things, both apps will serve you well: - **A file tray in the notch.** Drag files up, park them, drag them out later. Both apps also offer AirDrop quick send from the tray. - **Now Playing controls** with album art, for Apple Music, Spotify and browser media. - **System HUD replacements** for volume and brightness, plus battery states. - **Calendar and timers** at the top of the screen. - **Works without a notch**, on external displays, and on Intel Macs. Both are signed and notarized. From there the two apps head in different directions. NotchNook goes deeper into widgets for the notch itself. Droppy goes wider, into jobs the notch was never expected to do. Tap a category Both have a shelf with AirDrop. Droppy adds a full clipboard history and Droppy Cloud, which turns any file into a shareable link straight from the shelf. Both: shelf + AirDrop Droppy: clipboard Droppy: cloud links Both control playback with a visualizer. Droppy adds live lyrics and the Apple Music Up Next queue; NotchNook counters with custom GIFs living in your notch. Both: controls Droppy: lyrics + queue NotchNook: GIFs NotchNook has timers, to-dos and a Shortcuts widget. Droppy runs your Apple Shortcuts from Favorites too, then keeps going: notes that sync with Apple Notes, window snapping, universal search, file conversion, voice transcription and 27 toggleable Droplets. Both: Shortcuts Droppy: 27 Droplets NotchNook shows its own alerts. Droppy mirrors real notch notifications and lets you reply to iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram inline, plus a presence on the Lock Screen. Droppy: inline reply Droppy: Lock Screen NotchNook is $15 one-time, or a $2 a month subscription. Droppy is a one-time $9.99 with lifetime updates and every Droplet included. NotchNook: $15 or $2/mo Droppy: $9.99 once Category by category, from the shared comparison data on the compare page. ## Where Droppy pulls ahead The pattern in the matrix is consistent: NotchNook builds widgets for the notch, Droppy replaces whole utility apps. The clearest examples: - **Clipboard history.** Droppy keeps a searchable history of everything you copy, text and files alike. NotchNook has none. - **Cloud sharing.** Drop a file on Droppy's shelf, get a private link to send anywhere. There is no equivalent in NotchNook. - **Real notes.** NotchNook's notes stay local to the app. Droppy's rich notes sync with Apple Notes through iCloud, so they exist on your iPhone too. - **Notifications you can answer.** Droppy shows banners at the notch and lets you reply to iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram without opening the app. NotchNook shows only its own alerts. - **The Droplet ecosystem.** 27 optional extensions, from a camera mirror and window snapping to a terminal, meeting controls and an AI coding HUD. Favorites can hold your apps, files and Apple Shortcuts, so your automations live at the notch too. You toggle on what you want; the rest stays out of your way. ## Where NotchNook wins Fair is fair, and there are two honest reasons to pick NotchNook: - **Custom GIFs.** A purely fun feature Droppy doesn't do: your notch can be a tiny animated pet. I get the appeal. - **Track record.** NotchNook has been polishing this concept longer than almost anyone. If maturity alone drives your decision, that is a point in its favor. ## The price question NotchNook offers two ways in: $15 one-time, or $2 a month, both cut from $25 and $3 in 2026. The subscription looks friendlier on day one, so it is worth doing the arithmetic honestly. Droppy costs $9.99 exactly once. Drag the months Months of use 6 NotchNook at $2 a month$12 Past month four the subscription has cost more than Droppy ever will. Droppy is a flat $9.99, once. NotchNook's $15 one-time option clears the subscription math too; it is still one and a half Droppys. ## Side by side | What matters | Droppy | NotchNook | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | $9.99 one-time | $15 one-time or $2 a month | | Where to get it | getdroppy.app or Homebrew | getnotchnook.com only, no longer on Setapp or Homebrew | | File shelf + AirDrop | Yes | Yes | | Clipboard history | Yes, text and files | No | | Cloud share links | Yes, Droppy Cloud | No | | Notes | Rich notes, iCloud sync with Apple Notes | Local notes | | Notifications | Notch banners + inline reply for iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram | Own alerts only | | Lock Screen | Yes, media and HUDs | No | | Extensions | 27 Droplets + Shortcuts in Favorites | Built-in widgets, incl. Shortcuts and GIFs | | Requirements | macOS 14+, any Mac | macOS 14.6+, any Mac | ## The verdict Choose **NotchNook** if the custom GIF notch is the feature you would actually open the app for, or if its longer track record matters more to you than breadth. It is a good app made by people who clearly care. Choose **Droppy** if you want the notch to replace apps rather than host widgets: clipboard manager, cloud sharing, synced notes, answerable notifications, and 27 extensions you can grow into, for a one-time $9.99. And if you are still weighing the whole category, the [five-app roundup](https://getdroppy.app/blog/best-mac-notch-apps-2026) and the [live comparison page](https://getdroppy.app/compare?vs=notchnook) lay all the cards on the table.