Is NotchNook Free? Price, Trial and Free Options (2026)
You saw NotchNook, a Dynamic Island for the Mac, and want to know what it costs.
Update, 6 October 2026: NotchNook can’t be bought right now. The lo.cafe site no longer loads, the Setapp listing is gone, and Homebrew disabled its cask on 19 September. The prices below are what it sold for. If you’re shopping today, see NotchNook alternatives.
Short answer: no, NotchNook wasn’t free. There was a short free trial (two days), and after that it was $25 once or $3 a month. It’s closed source, so there’s no free build on GitHub either. If you want a free notch app, Boring Notch is the open-source one, and it installs in a minute.
What NotchNook Costs
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | $0 | About two days, then the app locks |
| One-time | $25 | Covers up to 5 devices |
| Monthly | $3 a month | Covers 2 devices |
The subscription passed $25 in month 9, so past that the one-time price was cheaper. Those were the prices when it was on sale. We don’t know if or when it comes back, or at what price.
What About a Free Tier?
Older write-ups mention one. As far as we can tell, there isn’t one now: after the trial you pay or you stop using it. If you saw a “free” button, it’s the trial.
Is NotchNook on GitHub?
No. People search for it there, and it comes up empty because NotchNook is closed source and sold by lo.cafe. The notch apps with public code are Boring Notch and Atoll.
Put Your Notch To Work
That black bar already takes up space. Give it music, timers, and voice typing.
Download for free
The Free Options
Boring Notch is free and open source (GPL-3.0). It has now playing, a file shelf, battery and HUDs. It’s unsigned, so macOS asks you to allow it on the first launch. We wrote how to install it step by step.
Atoll is free and open source too, with extras like a clipboard manager and system stats. It needs a MacBook with a notch, specifically a 14 or 16 inch Pro, per its README. Our Atoll write-up covers it.
The Cheaper Paid Option
Seam is ours, so weigh this. It’s $29 once, which is $4 more than NotchNook’s old one-time price, with no subscription option to worry about. The trial is 48 hours with no credit card. It does offline voice typing, a focus timer, calendar and drop zones, and it runs as a floating island on Macs that have no notch. NotchNook goes further on arranging widgets and web widgets. Seam goes further on voice and focus.
If your question was “can I get this for nothing,” use Boring Notch. If it was “which paid one is worth it,” try both trials. They’re short.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NotchNook free?
No. It has a short free trial, then costs $25 once or $3 a month.
How long is the NotchNook free trial?
Two days at the time of writing. Check the developer’s page for the current length.
Is there a free version of NotchNook?
Not that we can find. After the trial, you pay.
Is NotchNook open source?
No. It’s closed source, so there’s no GitHub repository to download from.
What’s the best free NotchNook alternative?
Boring Notch for most people. Atoll if you have a 14 or 16 inch MacBook Pro and want more tools.
Related Reading
Put Your Notch To Work
That black bar already takes up space. Give it music, timers, and voice typing.
Download for free