Super Notch vs Boring Notch

Both apps live in the MacBook notch. Boring Notch is free and open source, and it leans on music. Super Notch is a paid AI agent session manager for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor, with Type and Talk.

What Super Notch does

Session cards for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor (including Cursor cloud agents), grouped by project. Pick a card and you're back in that session in its original tool.
Orbiting spheres show which sessions are detected as working. When one stops being detected as working, it pops briefly. That pop doesn't mean the result has been verified.
Claude, Codex, Cursor, and Grok usage sits in the notch next to your Mac's CPU, memory, and disk.
Hold Right Option for Type, on-device English dictation. Hold Right Command for Talk, a voice companion in the notch.
A floating HUD lets you ask about the window in front of you.

What Boring Notch does

The Boring Notch GitHub repository is GPL-3.0 and free. The README includes Buy us a coffee. It requires macOS 14 Sonoma or newer. The project describes itself as "Not so boring notch That Rocks" with a music focus. More features were not verified. The project site is theboring.name.

At a glance

	Super Notch	Boring Notch
What it is	MacBook notch AI agent session manager, with Type and Talk	Free, open-source notch app with a music focus
Agents in the notch	Claude Code, Codex, Cursor (incl. Cursor cloud agents)	Not in the README facts checked Oct 16, 2026
Dictation	Type: Phonon 2, on-device, English	Not in the facts checked
Voice assistant	Talk with Grok, OpenAI, or Apple Intelligence	Not in the facts checked
Floating HUD over other apps	Yes. Ask about the window in front of you	Not in the facts checked
Music	Not listed on supernotch.ai	Music focus. More features were not verified.
Price	$20 first Mac, $10 each additional, one-time	Free, GPL-3.0. README includes Buy us a coffee.
Requirements	Apple silicon, macOS 14+	macOS 14 Sonoma+

Boring Notch details from github.com/TheBoredTeam/boring.notch, checked Oct 16, 2026. The project site is theboring.name. Super Notch details from supernotch.ai.

Requirements and price

Super Notch runs on an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or newer. Voice features need microphone and accessibility permissions. You pay once: $20 for your first Mac and $10 for each additional Mac. There's no monthly subscription. Type dictation is $0/mo after you buy and spends no model tokens. Talk and Chat use your Grok or OpenAI plan, or Apple Intelligence on supported Macs.

When to pick Boring Notch instead

You want a free notch app under the GPL-3.0 license.
You want the music focus described on its GitHub page.
You'd rather have a free app than pay for an agent session manager.

FAQ

Is Super Notch a Boring Notch alternative?

Both use the MacBook notch. Boring Notch is free, open source, and described with a music focus. Super Notch is an AI agent session manager for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.

Is Boring Notch free?

Yes. The GitHub project is GPL-3.0. The README also says Buy us a coffee.

What Mac does Boring Notch require?

macOS 14 Sonoma or newer, per the GitHub README checked Oct 16, 2026.

Does the Boring Notch README list AI agent sessions?

Not in what we checked on Oct 16, 2026. We didn't verify more features.

Is Super Notch free?

No. You pay once: $20 for your first Mac and $10 for each extra. There's no monthly subscription.