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Alcove vs MediaMate: catalog facts
Alcove	MediaMate
Best for: MacBook owners who want the notch to show notifications and media controls	Best for: Mac users who want cleaner volume, brightness and now playing overlays
Paid Costs $14.99 to purchase.	Paid Free download, with a license purchased through the Buy link on the site.
macOS	macOS
Makes use of the otherwise idle notch area Customisable HUDs for system indicators All 4 strengths for Alcove Makes use of the otherwise idle notch area Customisable HUDs for system indicators Live activities and swipe gestures Native Mac app	Compact replacements for volume and brightness HUDs Keyboard backlight control with its own HUD and shortcut All 3 strengths for MediaMate Compact replacements for volume and brightness HUDs Keyboard backlight control with its own HUD and shortcut Now Playing view in the notch
Paid app Closed source All 3 limitations for Alcove Paid app Closed source Mainly useful on Macs with a notch	Requires macOS 13 or later Touch Bar Macs need a separate, less reliable mode All 3 limitations for MediaMate Requires macOS 13 or later Touch Bar Macs need a separate, less reliable mode Paid license
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Not open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Alcove tryalcove.com Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for MediaMate wouter01.github.io/MediaMate Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.