Peninsula Alternative: Free, With 30+ Tools Built In
Peninsula is a likeable open-source notch project with the basics covered. Notchy is free too — and ships the full suite: Now Playing with synced lyrics, clipboard history, a persistent drop shelf with zip and image conversion, Pomodoro stats, AI usage tracking, a command palette, and full localization into 134 languages.
Why use Notchy instead of Peninsula?
- Depth in every feature
Where Peninsula covers the basics, Notchy goes deep: the shelf zips archives and converts HEIC→JPG, the clipboard pins favorites and honors password-manager privacy, the timer tracks streaks with a 7-day chart.
- Polish and correctness
Liquid Glass materials, 120Hz ProMotion animations, Reduce Motion / VoiceOver / Reduce Transparency support, and 134 full localizations — the details a solo passion project rarely gets to.
- Still completely free
No trade-off to make: both apps cost $0. Notchy is donation-supported, auto-updates via Sparkle, and ships new features every few weeks.
Everything Notchy does, for free
- Fluid Dynamic Island animations on the Mac notch
- Command palette (⌃⌥K) — every action one keystroke away
- Knock — double-tap a modifier key to open the notch
- AI usage tracker (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot)
- Detach any tab into a menu-bar popover
- Now Playing music controls (Apple Music & Spotify)
- Time-synced karaoke lyrics under the notch
- Mac clipboard history shelf (password-manager safe)
- Drag-and-drop file drop shelf — persists across relaunches
- Zip & unzip files right from the shelf
- Image converter (HEIC, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF) + video → GIF
- Run Apple Shortcuts with one tap
- Screenshots auto-staged on the shelf, ready to drag
- Download finished alerts with Reveal in Finder
- USB drive mount island with one-tap Eject
- Apple Reminders quick capture & due list
- macOS Pomodoro notch timer & stopwatch — streaks + 7-day chart
- Resizable expanded panel (width & height, live preview)
- System HUDs (volume, brightness, battery)
- Audio output switcher (speakers, AirPods, monitor)
- AirPods connection manager & battery
- Magic Mouse, Keyboard & Trackpad battery + low-battery alerts
- Quick notes & Calendar widgets
- Camera Mirror (check your appearance)
- Keep Awake (caffeine toggle)
- Teleprompter (Cuely) for Zoom calls
- Focus-aware alerts & native haptic feedback
- Lock screen widgets & hide-the-notch mode
- 133 languages, fully localized
- Native SwiftUI, tuned for Apple Silicon
Peninsula alternative — FAQ
Is Notchy a good Peninsula alternative?
Yes. Peninsula is a neat, free notch app; Notchy is also free but packs far more in — clipboard, synced lyrics, AI usage tracking, HUD replacement and 134 languages.
What does Notchy include that Peninsula doesn't?
Notchy adds a clipboard history shelf, drag-and-drop file stash, Pomodoro timer, AI usage tracking, macOS HUD replacement and Now Playing with synced lyrics — all native.
Does Notchy support other languages?
Yes. Notchy is localized into 134 languages, so its notch interface works in your language out of the box.
Is Notchy free like Peninsula?
Yes — Notchy is completely free, supported only by optional donations.