NotchIA vs TopNotch: 2026 comparison

Context: hide or exploit the notch?

Since the notch arrived on the MacBook Pro 14" and 16" in October 2021, then on the MacBook Air in 2024, two camps have formed. On one side, users who want this black area to disappear — visually, if not physically. On the other, those who accept the notch and prefer to do something useful with it.

Each camp has its reference app. TopNotch was born in 2021, just days after the new MacBook Pro launch, and belongs to the notch hider category. Its author pushed the idea to its minimalist extreme: tint the menu bar black so the notch blends in. NotchIA, released in 2024 and materialized in version 2.8.0 "Wise Owl" on May 15, 2026, sits in the opposite category: notch utility. It stacks 14 modules around the notch.

This comparison was written by Axel Courty, creator of NotchIA. My bias is therefore declared up front. All claims about TopNotch are verifiable on its official site and the 9to5Mac article from October 2021 which describes the app as "a simple app that lives in the menu bar, and when it's enabled, it really is like the MacBook Pro's notch isn't even there".

TopNotch in a nutshell

NotchIA in a nutshell

Comparison table (10 criteria)

The table makes it clear: we are not comparing the same thing. TopNotch is a single-purpose tool, elegant and complete in its domain. NotchIA is a full control center. No criterion designates a "better" app — they simply measure two incompatible approaches to the same problem.

When to pick TopNotch

TopNotch is the right call in several specific cases:

• The notch bothers you visually. If you find the black area distracting in the middle of the menu bar, TopNotch erases it (visually) in seconds.
• You want 100% free, no commitment. No Pro tier, no paywall, no subscription. An optional donation, nothing more.
• You don't want anything else in the notch. You don't use the notch as an interaction zone — you just want it to stop showing.
• You're comfortable with English. The UI is English-only.
• You have a multi-display setup with external monitors without a notch. TopNotch homogenizes the menu bar across all displays.

TopNotch is exactly what it claims to be: a simple, focused app that cleanly solves the problem it set itself. Picking it has no downside if your need is limited to "making the notch disappear".

When to pick NotchIA

NotchIA is a better fit in these cases:

• You want to exploit the notch area. Rather than hiding it, you want to see your media controls, your next calendar event, your Pomodoro, your temporary drag-and-drops (Shelf), your AirDrop, your Apple Intelligence RSS summaries.
• You want live AI in the notch. NotchIA shows real-time state of Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, and GitHub Copilot, with 10 states (Compiling, Terminal, Searching, Reading, Writing, etc.) and token consumption. No other notch app offers this today.
• You want on-device Apple Intelligence. The Digest module (2.8.0 exclusive) summarizes your RSS feeds via local Apple Intelligence models, 100% on-device, with no third-party server roundtrip.
• You use macOS in French, Spanish, or German. NotchIA is translated into 4 languages.
• You want direct support. An email to notchia.app@gmail.com gets a reply from Axel, the developer.
• You want a lifetime purchase. €24.99 once, updates included, no mandatory subscription.

The power-user hack: run both

Here is the interesting detail few users realize: TopNotch and NotchIA coexist perfectly, because they don't touch the same things.

Typical use case: you're working on a MacBook Pro 14" connected to an external display (e.g. a Studio Display or a standard 4K monitor without a notch). On the external display, the absence of a notch creates visual inconsistency between the two menu bars. On the MacBook, the physical notch remains regardless.

The winning combo:

• TopNotch homogenizes the menu bar on the external display (and incidentally camouflages the MacBook's notch when you work in dark full-screen mode).
• NotchIA stays active on the MacBook screen and provides its 14 modules around the physical notch.

No conflict in practice: TopNotch acts on the menu bar color, NotchIA acts on the notch area. Both apps are free at startup (TopNotch entirely, NotchIA in its Essential tier), so testing costs nothing.

If you really want to keep only one, your need decides: hide the notch or exploit it. The two verbs are mutually exclusive.

FAQ: choosing a notch app

Are NotchIA and TopNotch competitors?

Not really. TopNotch belongs to the "notch hider" category: its only goal is to visually make the notch disappear by tinting the menu bar black. NotchIA belongs to the "notch utility" category: it exploits the notch by placing 14 interactive modules around it. The two apps answer opposite philosophies and can even be used together on multi-display setups.

Does TopNotch have AI features?

No. TopNotch has no AI features and no interactive modules. It is a single-purpose app released in 2021 whose role is limited to tinting the menu bar to camouflage the notch. NotchIA, in contrast, integrates live state of Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, GitHub Copilot, and on-device Apple Intelligence Digest on macOS 26+.

Can I use both NotchIA and TopNotch?

Yes, and it is actually a relevant power-user hack. Enable TopNotch on your main external display (without a physical notch) to homogenize the menu bar visually, and use NotchIA on the MacBook screen to exploit the physical notch with its 14 modules. The two apps do not step on each other.

Which is free?

TopNotch is entirely free (donation-ware) since its release in 2021. NotchIA offers a lifetime free Essential tier that covers the base modules, and a Pro tier at €2.99/month or €24.99 lifetime for live AI, file converter, and unlimited clipboard.

Does TopNotch work on macOS 26?

TopNotch officially targets macOS 12+ and continues to work on later versions, including macOS 26, according to community feedback. NotchIA requires macOS 15.0+ for most modules and macOS 26 for on-device Apple Intelligence Digest.

Why doesn't NotchIA hide the notch like TopNotch?

Because NotchIA's philosophy is the opposite: the notch exists, so let's make it useful. Rather than trying to camouflage it — which reduces the area to an inert black hole — NotchIA turns it into an interactive cockpit (media, calendar, Focus, AirDrop, live AI, etc.). If you prefer to make it visually disappear, TopNotch is the right app for that.

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