FavTray vs Alcove
Alcove is a polished one-time notch app focused on HUDs, live activities and the lock screen. FavShelf is a notch island with a free glance and developer tools.
FavShelf's notch moments
Feature comparison
| Feature | FavTray | Alcove |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Glance free; tools with FavTray Pro, a one-time Lifetime licence ($4.99) | $14.99 once; up to 3 Macs; updates included |
| Trial and refunds | 7-day full trial, no card | 72-hour trial; full refund within 14 days |
| macOS | 14 Sonoma and later | 15 Sequoia and later |
| Media | Spotify and Apple Music: controls and seek, artwork for Spotify | Now playing as a live activity |
| HUDs | Volume (shown alongside macOS's own) and power | Customizable HUDs |
| Notifications | FavTray's own alerts as notch cards (Pro); never other apps' notifications | Instant notifications (its site doesn't say from which apps) |
| Live activities | Join pill before meetings; agent count | Yes |
| Lock screen | No | Lock-screen widgets |
| Gestures | Hover and click | Swipe gestures |
| Tools in the notch | Day calendar with Join, clipboard history, file shelf with AirDrop, camera check (Pro) | Not listed |
| AI and coding agents | Claude/Codex usage bars free; Claude Code approvals and questions (Pro) | Not listed |
| Macs without a notch | Small glass pill at the top of the main display | Not stated |
| Beyond the notch | Menu-bar developer cockpit, AI usage tracker, eye rest, ports, meetings | Notch only |
| Open source | No | No |
Checked on 2026-10-07: tryalcove.com and its FAQ. “Not listed” and “Not stated” mean Alcove's site doesn't mention it, not that Alcove can't do it. We'll correct anything its developer tells us is out of date. FavTray details reflect version 2.0.8.
The verdict
Pick Alcove if you want the most polished HUDs, live activities and lock-screen widgets on macOS 15 and don't mind that it relies on private APIs. One purchase covers up to 3 Macs, and the 72-hour trial and 14-day refund make it easy to try.
Pick FavTray if you're on macOS 14, want a free glance, or want the notch to report on your work: Claude Code, AI limits, CI and meetings. The glance is free; the island's tools and notch cards come with FavTray Pro.
Want free instead? Free notch apps for Mac covers the $0 options.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alcove free?
No. Alcove is $14.99, a one-time purchase that includes all future updates and runs on up to 3 Macs at once. You can try it for 72 hours, and it offers a full refund within 14 days, no reason required. FavTray's FavShelf glance (media, weather, AI usage bars, volume and power HUDs) is free on every install.
Does Alcove work on macOS 14?
No. Alcove needs macOS 15 Sequoia or later. FavTray runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and later, so on a Sonoma Mac it's the one of the two you can install.
Does Alcove use private APIs?
Yes, by its own account. Its FAQ says: “Alcove relies on private APIs that have remained functional for years. However, Apple could choose to modify or remove them without providing an alternative.” In practice, a macOS update could break a feature until Alcove adapts.
Is Alcove a good NotchNook alternative?
For a paid, one-time island, yes: it's polished, it covers HUDs, live activities and lock-screen widgets, and one purchase covers up to 3 Macs. NotchNook went offline in September 2026 during a dispute at lo.cafe and went back on sale at getnotchnook.com in October; the full status is on our FavTray vs NotchNook page.
Does Alcove show notifications from other apps?
Its site lists instant notifications without saying which apps they come from, so ask Alcove if that matters to you. FavShelf shows only FavTray's own alerts, such as Claude Code requests, AI limits, meeting heads-ups, GitHub checks on your PRs and busy ports, and never other apps' notifications.
Can I try FavTray free?
Yes. The FavShelf glance is free on every install, and every install starts with a 7-day trial of FavTray Pro, no card needed. The trial unlocks the calendar with Join, clipboard history, the file shelf with AirDrop, the camera check, island notifications and Claude Code approvals.
More: Best Mac notch apps · Free notch apps · FavTray vs NotchNook · FavShelf