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Halo vs Notchy
Notchy is one of the broadest notch apps on the Mac, with window snapping, a command palette and Face Unlock next to the usual music and HUDs. It's $24.99 for one Mac; Halo is $9.99 for three. Here's how they compare.
The short answer
Pick Halo if…
you want live banners from any app, hold-to-talk dictation, to answer Claude Code or Codex from the notch, contrast and input switching on a monitor, or one license for 3 Macs.
Pick Notchy if…
you want window snapping, a command palette, clipboard search with OCR, Face Unlock, a 7-day trial, or you're on macOS 13 or 14.
Side by side
| Halo | Notchy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 one-time | $24.99 one-time, plus tax |
| Macs per license | Up to 3 | 1 |
| Free trial | No | Yes, 7 days, no card |
| Refunds | Not listed | Not listed |
| Requirements | macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon and Intel | macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| Works on Macs without a notch | Yes | Yes (a floating pill) |
| Notifications from any app in the island | Yes, with a switch for each app | Notification Mirror: Notification Center in a notch tab (needs Full Disk Access) |
| Now playing with synced lyrics | Yes | Yes, word by word |
| Dictation into any app | Yes: hold Fn and talk | Not listed |
| AI coding agent status | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and Cursor, with usage rings | Claude Code and Codex activity; usage for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and Copilot |
| Answer agent permission prompts from the notch | Yes: Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode | Not listed |
| External monitor control (DDC/CI) | Brightness, contrast and input | Brightness (Apple silicon) |
| File shelf | Yes, with AirDrop | Yes |
| Clipboard history | Yes | Yes, with OCR search |
"Not listed" means I couldn't find it on Notchy's site on 10 November 2026, not that it's definitely missing. I haven't run the two apps side by side yet; when I do, measured numbers go here. If something is wrong, tell me and I'll fix it.
Where Halo is different
Notifications as they arrive
Halo shows each banner in the notch the moment it arrives and moves the macOS banner out of the way, with a switch per app. Notchy mirrors Notification Center into a tab you open. How Halo does it.
Dictation
Hold Fn and talk, and Halo types into whatever app has the cursor, with Apple's engine or Whisper. More on dictation.
Answering your agents
Both show coding agents. Halo also puts Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode permission prompts in the notch so you can answer there. How that works.
Price and Macs
Halo is $9.99 for up to 3 Macs. Notchy is $24.99 for one Mac, and each extra Mac needs its own license.
Where Notchy is ahead
Notchy does much more outside the island: window snapping from the notch, a command palette, an app launcher, clipboard history with OCR search, a notch terminal, keyboard backlight control and Face Unlock. It tracks usage and cost for four AI tools, runs on macOS 13 and 14, and gives you 7 days to try everything. Halo has no trial and needs macOS 15.
Weighing more than these two? See the best Dynamic Island apps for Mac, or the free ones.
Questions
Is Halo a good Notchy alternative?
Yes, if you want live notification banners in the notch, dictation, answering coding agents from the notch, or a lower price that covers 3 Macs. Notchy has window snapping, a command palette, Face Unlock, OCR clipboard search and a 7-day trial.
Which is cheaper, Halo or Notchy?
Halo is $9.99 one-time for up to 3 Macs. Notchy is $24.99 one-time, plus tax, for one Mac.
Do both work without a notch?
Yes. Both draw an island on Macs without a notch and on external displays.
Do both control external monitor brightness?
Both can over DDC/CI on Apple silicon. Halo also changes contrast and switches the monitor's input.
Can I use both?
You can, but only one island should own the notch at a time. Quit one before trying the other.
More comparisons: Halo vs Droppy · Halo vs Seam · Halo vs Vibe Island · Halo vs Alcove · Halo vs NotchNook
Sources: Notchy's site and Halo's site.
Try Halo
Dynamic Island for your Mac, notch or not. $9.99 one-time, no subscription.
Buy Halo