NotchMan vs NotchBuddy
NotchBuddy is the closest thing to NotchMan on the market: a hover-to-open notch panel with switchable tabs, a one-time price and a local-first pitch. It has more tabs than any other notch app, and if you run a business it can show revenue and analytics in the notch. Here is where the two differ.
Facts about NotchBuddy are from its own site, read on 2026-09-21. If something is out of date, email hello@notchman.com.
| NotchMan | NotchBuddy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $10.99 launch, then $29, one-time | $5.99 launch (first 100), then $19.99, one-time |
| Tools | 9: Scratchpad, Clipboard, Timers, Hours, Screen Time, Hydration, Calories, Breathe, Habits | 19: Home, Revenue, Analytics, Scratchpad, Shelf, Calendar, Timers, Stats, Screen Time, Weather, Clipboard, Notes, Files, Links, Emoji, Sounds, Message, Claude, Units |
| Now playing / media controls | Planned | Yes |
| Calendar | Planned | Yes |
| Shelf for files | Planned | Yes |
| Claude / Codex usage | Planned | Claude tab |
| Time log by category | Yes | No |
| Hydration, calories, breathing, habits | Yes | No |
| Permissions | None. Notifications only if you turn on reminders | API keys for Revenue and Analytics, stored in your keychain |
| Data | Local SQLite file, no account | Local; clipboard, notes, screen time and files stay on the Mac |
| Macs per license | 3 Macs | Not stated |
| Requirements | macOS 14+, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 14+, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Refund | 14 days | 14 days |
| Open source | No | No |
Planned means on the NotchMan roadmap and included in every license.
Only in NotchBuddy today
- Now playing and media controls in the closed notch
- Calendar with your next event
- Revenue and analytics dashboards (Stripe, Google Analytics, DataFast)
- Shelf for dragging files, plus file conversion
- Weather, emoji picker, unit converter, sounds
- A Claude tab for token usage
Only in NotchMan
- Hours: press play and see where the day went
- Hydration with a filling glass and reminders that wait while you're away
- A calorie budget with meals in one line and your deficit over time
- Six guided breathing patterns with a voice
- Habits with streaks and a heatmap
On the roadmap. Now playing, a shelf, calendar, notes, sounds, a home tab and Claude and Codex usage are on the NotchMan roadmap and included in every license. Next up: shelf, music, claude and codex usage, calendar, sounds, notes, home, themes.
Choose NotchBuddy if…
Choose NotchBuddy if you want the widest set of tabs today, or your business numbers one hover away.
Choose NotchMan if…
Choose NotchMan if the tools you'd actually use are the daily ones: what you're working on, water, food, a breather, habits. Nine tools that each go a bit deeper, with nothing to configure and no API keys.
Questions
- Is NotchBuddy cheaper?
- Yes. NotchBuddy is $5.99 at launch and $19.99 after. NotchMan is $10.99 at launch and $29 after. Both are one-time purchases with a 14-day refund.
- Which has more tools?
- NotchBuddy, with 19 tabs to NotchMan's 9. Four overlap: scratchpad, clipboard, timers and screen time. The rest go in different directions: business and utilities in NotchBuddy, time and wellbeing in NotchMan.
- Can I run both?
- Not usefully. Both take over the notch area, so pick one.
Try NotchMan on your own notch.
One-time purchase, 14-day refund, everything stays on your Mac.
Updated 2026-09-21. NotchBuddy is a trademark of its owner; this page is an independent comparison.