About NotchOwl
NotchOwl is a planner that lives in the notch. Hovering over it, or pressing Option-N, opens tasks, Pomodoro timers, quick notes and calendar events that are synced together, and it also works on displays without a notch.
You pick a task, set a timer and the focus timer stays beside the notch while you work, with count down or stopwatch modes and the ability to pause, resume or add five minutes. A daily notepad saves as you type and turns a line into a task with Command-Return, and an Insights view shows completed tasks, active focus time and daily activity. The site says planner data stays on your Mac. It is offered as a lifetime license at about $4.90, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Key features
- Tasks with Pomodoro focus timer
- Daily notepad that turns lines into tasks
- Calendar events in the notch
- Insights on tasks and focus time
- Option-N keyboard shortcut
- Works on Macs without a notch
Good fit for
- Focus sessions tied to a single task
- Capturing notes and tasks without leaving your work
NotchOwl: questions and answers
- What is NotchOwl used for?
- NotchOwl is a Mac app that puts tasks, a focus timer, a daily notepad and calendar events in the MacBook notch, with data kept on your Mac. It is a good fit for focus sessions tied to a single task, and capturing notes and tasks without leaving your work.
- How much does NotchOwl cost?
- NotchOwl is a paid product with no free plan. Lifetime license listed at about $4.90 with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Is NotchOwl open source?
- No. NotchOwl is proprietary (closed-source) software. In the Productivity category, open-source options include Rectangle, Super Productivity and Maccy.
- What are some alternatives to NotchOwl?
- Other SaaS products in the Productivity category include Cupola, NotchMomo and Akiflow.
Open-source alternatives to NotchOwl
See all
Rectangle
Productivity
Move and resize windows on macOS with keyboard shortcuts and snap areas
OSSvs BetterTouchTool★ 30k
Super Productivity
Productivity
Super Productivity is an advanced todo list app with integrated Timeboxing and time tracki
MITvs Todoist★ 23k
Maccy
Productivity
Lightweight clipboard manager for macOS
MITvs Paste★ 22k
Tasks.org
Productivity
Bringing Astrid Tasks back from the dead
GPL-3.0vs Todoist★ 5.6k
LifeForge
Productivity
A self-hosted solution to streamline and organize all aspects of your life.
OSSvs Notion★ 1.7k
Yuvomi
Productivity
Self-hosted family planner - tasks, calendars, shopping, meals, budget. Your data, your se
MIT★ 1.7k
SaaS alternatives to NotchOwl
See all
Cupola
Productivity
macOS app that combines Apple Calendar, Reminders and Notes in one panel opened from the notch
SaaS
NotchMomo
Productivity
Mac app that turns the MacBook notch into a productivity companion
SaaS
Akiflow
Productivity
Time-blocking planner that merges tasks from many tools with the calendar
SaaS
DodoDeck
Productivity
Lightweight desktop app that keeps daily tasks on one side and rough notes on the other
SaaS
Mac Pet
Productivity
Pixel pet for the macOS menu bar with a Pomodoro timer and daily activity streaks
SaaS
Motion
Productivity
AI planner that auto-schedules tasks and meetings on the calendar
SaaS

