Your notch, put to work
Koi lives in your MacBook's notch. Hover it for Talk, Chat, Dictate and Record, see Spotify, AirPods and battery there, drop files on it to AirDrop, read a script.
Start here
What Alcove does, and what it costs
Alcove turns your MacBook's notch into something like the iPhone's Dynamic Island. Its site lists fluid transitions, instant notifications, live activities, swipe gestures, HUDs you can customize and lock screen widgets, in a native app.
It's $12.99, and its FAQ says that's a one-time purchase with all future updates, for up to 3 devices at once. There's a 72-hour trial, and a full refund within 14 days. It needs macOS 15 or later.
We make Koi, so read this with that in mind. Koi is first below because it's ours. Every fact about another app comes from that app's own site or GitHub page, checked November 4, 2026. “Not listed” below means the page doesn't say.
Different jobs
A prettier notch vs a notch that works
- Alcove is about how the notch looks and moves: the Dynamic Island feel, notifications and HUDs.
- The other notch apps below add things to it: music, a shelf for files, AirDrop, a calendar.
- Koi puts a whole assistant behind it: an AI you talk to, dictation, call recording and Tools like a teleprompter and a timer.
So if you want the notch to feel like an iPhone and little else, Alcove is made for that. If you want it to do more of your work, keep reading.
The picks
The best Alcove alternatives for Mac in 2026
1. Koi
Best for: A whole assistant in the notch, with music, AirDrop and a timer
Koi lives in your notch. Hover it and it opens on Home, with tabs for Chat, Tools, Tray and Routines. Tools has Dictate, your voice typed into any app; Record calls; Documents; a board on your desktop; and Calendar, then a teleprompter under the camera, a timer with Pomodoro, a video downloader and more. Hold ⌘ and fn and talk to Koi, an AI that sees your screen.
The notch shows things on its own too. Play Spotify or Music and the artwork sits in it with bars beside it; open it for a player. AirPods connecting with their battery, the charger going in or out and the volume each show for a few seconds. Drag files up to it and drop them on AirDrop, or on Files Tray to keep them handy. On a Mac without a notch, Koi draws one of its own.
Where Alcove does better: no lock screen widgets, no brightness HUD, and other apps' notifications don't show in Koi's notch. Koi starts with a 3-day free trial (card needed), then Pro is $12 a month, or Lifetime is $99 once.
2. Droppy
Best for: The most notch features for one payment
$9.99 once, for two Macs, with a 14-day refund, for macOS 14 or later. Its site lists now playing for Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube Music, a file tray that zips and converts, AirPods with their battery, today's events from Apple Calendar and Reminders, and a clipboard history. A teleprompter and a Pomodoro timer come as free add-ons it calls Droplets.
3. Boring Notch
Best for: Free and open source, with music and a file shelf
Free and open source (GPL-3.0), for macOS 14 or later, installed from its download or with Homebrew. Its README lists music controls with a visualizer, a calendar, a file shelf with AirDrop and a replacement for the Mac's HUDs. It isn't notarized, so macOS warns you the first time unless you install it with Homebrew. More in our Boring Notch alternatives.
4. Atoll
Best for: Free, with live activities and system stats
Free and open source (GPL v3), for macOS 14 or later. Its README lists media from Apple Music, Spotify and Cider, battery and charging as live activities, lock screen widgets, CPU, GPU, memory, network and disk stats, timers, a clipboard history, a colour picker and calendar previews. It's the closest free match for Alcove's live activities and lock screen widgets.
5. NotchDrop
Best for: Only a file shelf, free
Free and open source (MIT), also on the Mac App Store. Files dragged to the notch are kept a day, or as long as you set, with AirDrop a click away. No music.
Comparison
Alcove vs the alternatives
From each app's own site or GitHub page, checked November 4, 2026.
| Price | Music | Files | Lock screen widgets | macOS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcove | $12.99 once | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | 15+ |
| Koi | Pro $12 a month, or $99 once | Spotify and Music | Files Tray, AirDrop | No | 14+ |
| Droppy | $9.99 once | Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music | Tray | Not listed | 14+ |
| Boring Notch | Free, open source | Yes | Shelf, AirDrop | Not listed | 14+ |
| Atoll | Free, open source | Apple Music, Spotify, Cider | Not listed | Yes | 14+ |
| NotchDrop | Free, open source | No | Shelf, AirDrop | Not listed | Not listed |
Honest take
When Alcove is still the better pick
Stay on Alcove if
- You want the notch to look and move like the iPhone's Dynamic Island.
- You want notifications and HUDs you can customize in the notch.
- You want lock screen widgets.
- You'd rather pay once and keep every update.
Choosing
Which Alcove alternative should you pick?
- The most features for one payment? Droppy.
- Free, with music and a file shelf? Boring Notch.
- Free, with live activities and lock screen widgets? Atoll.
- Just a shelf? NotchDrop.
- The notch as the way into an AI you talk to, dictation, call recording, a teleprompter and a timer? Koi.
More in the best notch apps for Mac, or see Koi's plans.
Keep exploring
The best notch apps for MacBook in 2026
The best MacBook notch apps: Boring Notch and Atoll (free), Droppy, Alcove, DynamicLake, MediaMate, NotchDrop, and Koi. Music, AirDrop, battery and more.
The best Boring Notch alternatives for Mac
Boring Notch is free and open source. If it won't open or you want more, the best alternatives are Atoll, Droppy, Alcove, NotchDrop, MediaMate and Koi.
The best NotchNook alternatives for Mac
NotchNook's page is gone. The best NotchNook alternatives for Mac: Boring Notch and Atoll (free), Droppy, Alcove, NotchDrop and Koi, with prices checked.
Support
Frequently asked questions
$12.99. Its FAQ says it's a one-time purchase with all future updates, for up to 3 devices at once, with a 72-hour trial and a full refund within 14 days.
macOS 15 or later. Droppy, Boring Notch and Atoll need macOS 14 or later.
Yes. Boring Notch and Atoll are free and open source under the GPL, and NotchDrop is free under the MIT license. Atoll has lock screen widgets and live activities like Alcove.
Yes. On a Mac without a notch, Koi draws one of its own at the top of the screen.
No, but you can try it: Pro starts with a 3-day free trial (a card is needed), then it's $12 a month, with every feature and unlimited dictation, recordings and teleprompter. Or Lifetime is $99 once. Pro and Lifetime can add Koi credit for more Koi AI.