Compare software

Alcove vs Notchly: catalog facts
Alcove	Notchly
Best for: MacBook owners who want the notch to show notifications and media controls	Best for: MacBook users who want music controls and coding agent alerts at a glance
Paid Costs $14.99 to purchase.	Free The product page says the app is free to use.
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	Provides music controls in the MacBook notch Can show alerts from Codex, Cursor, and Claude Code All 3 strengths for Notchly Provides music controls in the MacBook notch Can show alerts from Codex, Cursor, and Claude Code Includes gestures and lock screen playback
Paid app Closed source All 3 limitations for Alcove Paid app Closed source Mainly useful on Macs with a notch	Requires a MacBook with a notch
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	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Alcove tryalcove.com Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Notchly notchly.xyz Catalog checked October 8, 2026

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