The Notchkin Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Notchkin in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Notchkin
The Insider’s Guide
Local notes panel that drops down from the MacBook notch
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from Notchkin’s own pages.
Made by Danny Stankowski · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Notchkin’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Notchkin’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 4 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
Notchkin is a Mac notes app that lives in the MacBook notch: hovering over the notch, or pressing a shortcut, drops down a panel for writing and searching notes. It handles rich text, checklists, hashtags and pinned notes, and comes with a deliberately sarcastic mascot. Notes are stored only on the Mac, with no sync and no account, and the app is a one-time purchase on the Mac App Store or through Setapp.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Notchkin, taken from its own pages and our grades.
That also means no sync, no iPhone app and backups kept on the same Mac.
- 1
Best for a scratchpad that drops out of your MacBook's notch
Notchkin puts a notes panel in your MacBook's notch: hover over it and type, with no window to find.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $4.99 one-time.
- 3
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 4
Panel in the notch
Hovering over the notch slides a notes panel down. Macs without a notch get a notch-shaped panel at the top of the screen, and every connected monitor has its own.
- 5
Quick Capture and paste as note
A global shortcut starts a new note from any app, and a second shortcut turns whatever is on the clipboard into a note.
- 6
Rich text and lists
Notes support bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlights and links, along with checklists and bulleted and numbered lists.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 4 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
Notchkin at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $4.99 one-time
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Danny Stankowski, since 2026
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a scratchpad that drops out of your MacBook's notch
Notchkin puts a notes panel in your MacBook's notch: hover over it and type, with no window to find. It's $4.99 once, and notes never leave the Mac. That also means no sync, no iPhone app and backups kept on the same Mac. It needs macOS 14 or later, and there's no free version or trial to see if it suits you.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $4.99 once on the US Mac App Store, with no subscription and no account, against a category whose middle plan is $6 a month. Less than one month of the usual, paid once, and Family Sharing covers up to six people. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing is free. The Mac App Store listing shows a paid download with no free version and no trial of any kind. If you regret it, refunds go through Apple or Setapp. |
| Features | C | Rich text, checklists, hashtags in place of folders, search, pins, a shortcut to start a note from any app and another to paste the clipboard as one. It does the scratchpad job fully, and that's a smaller job: there's no sync, and the daily backups sit on the same Mac as the notes. |
| Ease of use | B | No account, nothing to set up: hover over the notch and start typing. No App Store rating is on record to go by. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | The Mac alone, on macOS 14 or later. The FAQ says notes can't be shared with an iPhone or iPad, and the app makes no network requests at all, so exporting or copying the folder yourself is the only way out. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Notchkin is for
- Fits if you want somewhere to jot a thought on a Mac without opening another window
- Works for snippets and phone numbers you need for an hour, kept on your own Mac
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want your notes on your iPhone too, as there's no sync and no phone app
- Not for you if you like to try before you buy, because there's no free version or trial
- Too light for a main notes app, since it's built for short notes and checklists on one Mac
- Watch out: the daily backups sit on the same Mac as the notes, so the vendor advises keeping a separate copy
- Tight if your Mac runs anything older than macOS 14, which it requires
Good to know
Good for
- MacBook users who want a scratchpad without another window
- Short notes, checklists and clipboard snippets kept on one Mac
- People who want notes that never leave their machine
Worth knowing
- It runs on the Mac only and requires macOS 14 or later.
- There is no sync: the FAQ says notes cannot be shared with an iPhone or iPad, only backed up by copying the notes folder yourself.
- The Mac App Store listing shows a paid download with no free version or trial; refunds go through Apple or Setapp.
- The built-in backups live on the same Mac as the notes, so the vendor advises keeping a separate backup.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4.99 one-time
To start
Notchkin is a paid product, starting at $4.99 one-time.
Less than one month of the usual, paid once, and Family Sharing covers up to six people.
Notchkin
$4.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
The full app, with no subscription or account. Family Sharing covers up to six people, and the terms say it is also sold once-off through Setapp.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 9, 2026.
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $4.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | ₱ 299.00 | $4.76 | about the same |
| Canada | $6.99 | $4.91 | about the same |
| Turkey | ₺249,99 | $5.08 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 499 | $5.16 | about the same |
| Brazil | R$ 29,90 | $5.97 | 20% more |
| South Africa | R99.99 | $6.05 | 21% more |
| United Kingdom | £4.99 | $6.60 | 32% more |
| Germany | 5,99 € | $6.71 | 35% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Local notes panel that drops down from the MacBook notch. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: works offline, local-first, one-time purchase, notes.
It does the scratchpad job fully, and that's a smaller job: there's no sync, and the daily backups sit on the same Mac as the notes.
- Panel in the notch
- Hovering over the notch slides a notes panel down. Macs without a notch get a notch-shaped panel at the top of the screen, and every connected monitor has its own.
- Quick Capture and paste as note
- A global shortcut starts a new note from any app, and a second shortcut turns whatever is on the clipboard into a note.
- Rich text and lists
- Notes support bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, highlights and links, along with checklists and bulleted and numbered lists.
- Hashtags, search and pins
- Hashtags and tag filters take the place of folders. Search runs across all notes or inside a single one, and important notes can be pinned to the top.
- Local storage with daily backups
- Notes are saved in a sandboxed folder on the Mac and the app makes no network requests. It snapshots the notes once a day and keeps the last 7 backups.
- Export
- A single note exports as .rtf or .md, and the whole library can be backed up as JSON or as a folder of Markdown files.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Setapp
Notchkin is made by Danny Stankowski, and has been around since 2026.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
4/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
Notchkin's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 62 of 147) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Notchkin’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 147
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Your call
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box.
You could make the core of Notchkin for yourself: notes. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $4.99, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it.
What you could make
- Notes: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Notchkin’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Quick Note, SideNotes, Tot, Antinote and Heynote
The 5 tools Notchkin is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Quick Note
Free trial · from $12.99 one-time
Menu bar sticky notes that float above other Mac windows.
- Only Quick Note lists an iOS app.
- Quick Note also covers menu bar app.
- 2.6GPA
SideNotes
Free trial · from $9.99 one-time
Screen-edge notes panel for Mac, with a separate iPhone app.
- Only SideNotes lists an iOS app.
- SideNotes also covers Markdown, tasks and menu bar app.
- 2.6GPA
Tot
Free plan · from $19.99 one-time
Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
- Tot has a free plan. Notchkin does not.
- Only Tot lists an iOS app.
- Tot also covers Markdown and menu bar app.
- 2.4GPA
Antinote
Free trial · from $5 one-time
Mac scratchpad for temporary notes, quick math and checklists.
- Antinote also covers Pomodoro timer, menu bar app and calculator.
- 3.0GPA
Heynote
Free
Block-based scratchpad for developers on Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Heynote has a free plan. Notchkin does not.
- Only Heynote lists Windows and Linux apps.
- Notchkin can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Notchkin free?
No. Notchkin is a paid product, starting at $4.99 one-time.
How much does Notchkin cost?
Notchkin lists one plan. Notchkin: $4.99 one-time purchase (US Mac App Store).
What platforms does Notchkin work on?
Notchkin is available on macOS.
Does Notchkin have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Notchkin is listed for macOS.
Does Notchkin have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Notchkin is listed for macOS.
Is Notchkin open source?
Notchkin is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Notchkin work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Notchkin integrate with?
Notchkin's listing names Setapp. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Notchkin?
Notchkin is made by Danny Stankowski. It dates from 2026.
What are the alternatives to Notchkin?
The closest alternatives to Notchkin in our directory are Quick Note, SideNotes, Tot, Antinote and Heynote.
How does Notchkin compare with other note-taking apps?
Notchkin's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 4 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 7.
Could I make my own version of Notchkin?
A notes app at its plainest is text in folders with a search box. You could make the core of Notchkin for yourself: notes.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Notchkin’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Notchkin's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-09-13.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Danny Stankowski. Prices change, so check notchkin.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Notchkin, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/notchkin
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Notchkin: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/notchkin
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/notchkin/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after Notchkin, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Notchkin’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Notchkin is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Danny Stankowski. Prices and plans change: check notchkin.app before you buy.