ctrlhqctrlhq vs Boring NotchFree and fun, or paid and built for work.
ctrlhq vs Boring Notch: Boring Notch is a free, open-source notch music player. ctrlhq is a paid notch app for tasks, time tracking, recording and meeting notes.
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- ctrlhq
- Productivity app in the notch
- $19 launch price (then $49) · macOS 26 Tahoe+ · native, about 12 MB
- Boring Notch
- open-source notch app
- Free, open source
Boring Notch is a free, open-source notch app with a lovely music visualiser, calendar, a file shelf and HUD replacements. For a free app it's impressive, and if that's all you need, keep it.
ctrlhq costs money because it does a different job. It tracks your time, runs focus sessions, records your screen, transcribes meetings on-device and cleans up your disk, all from the notch, all offline, signed and notarized by Apple.
ctrlhq vs Boring Notch, side by side
| Feature | ctrlhq | Boring Notch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19 once (launch price, then $49) | Free |
| Open source | Yes (GPL-3.0) | |
| Music controls and visualiser | Music controls | |
| Calendar | ||
| File shelf with AirDrop | ||
| Tasks and time tracking | ||
| Clipboard history | ||
| Screen recording and meeting notes | ||
| Disk cleanup and app uninstaller | ||
| Signed and notarized by Apple | Needs a security bypass on first launch | |
| Automatic signed updates | Manual or Homebrew | |
| macOS | 26 Tahoe or later | 14 Sonoma or later |
Boring Notch details from its website, checked September 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Choose Boring Notch if
- You want a free notch app for music and files.
- You care about open source, or want to hack on it yourself.
- You're on macOS 14 or 15.
Choose ctrlhq if
- You want the notch to track your time and keep your tasks in view.
- You'd like recording, meeting notes and Mac cleanup without more apps.
- You want a signed, notarized app with support and automatic updates.
Lightweight by design
ctrlhq is a native Swift app, about 12 MB to download, with no background daemons or helper apps. One app that's already in your notch replaces a shelf of single-purpose ones, and every menu bar icon that came with them.
The ctrlhq features that cover Boring Notch
Time tracking
Your tasks and the running timer live in the notch, so you never forget to start or stop.
Focus timer
Start a focus session on your top task. ctrlhq tracks the time and calls the break.
Clipboard history
Searchable clipboard history for text and images. ⌘⇧V opens it in any app.
Disk cleanup
One scan shows what's safe to clear, what's worth a look, and the biggest files and folders on your Mac.
Questions
Why pay for ctrlhq when Boring Notch is free?
If you only want music and a shelf, don't. ctrlhq is worth paying for if you'd otherwise buy a time tracker, a screen recorder, a meeting note-taker or a Mac cleaner.
Is ctrlhq open source?
No. Your data stays on your Mac in a JSON file you can export, but the app itself is closed source.
Run it next to Boring Notch.
Every feature for $19 launch price (then $49), no subscription. Not for you? Full refund within 14 days.
14-day money-back guaranteeAlready bought? Download
Boring Notch is a trademark of its owner. ctrlhq isn't affiliated with it.