Sleeve App Alternative: Save $6 & Clean Your Desktop
Sleeve charges $6 for a floating desktop widget that clutters your wallpaper and has zero MacBook notch integration. Notchy delivers beautiful Spotify and Apple Music controls directly inside your notch with focus timers and clipboard management for exactly $0.
Why use Notchy instead of Sleeve or Tuneful?
- Free vs Sleeve's $6
Sleeve charges a flat fee for a desktop widget. Notchy delivers a fluid, animated Now Playing experience for Apple Music and Spotify for $0 — supported only by optional donations.
- Zero desktop clutter
Instead of a widget floating awkwardly on your desktop or wallpaper, Notchy utilizes the dead space of the MacBook notch to beautifully display album art and playback controls.
- So much more than music
Sleeve only plays music. Notchy includes a Now Playing widget, plus a clipboard manager, Pomodoro timer, AirPods connection manager, and file drop shelf.
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
Sleeve alternative — FAQ
Is there a free Sleeve alternative for Mac?
Yes — Notchy. Sleeve charges around $6 for desktop Now Playing widgets; Notchy puts beautiful Now Playing controls in your MacBook notch for $0.
How much does Sleeve cost vs Notchy?
Sleeve is a paid app (about $6). Notchy is completely free, funded only by optional donations.
Where does Notchy show Now Playing?
On and around the notch itself — album art, controls and scrubbing — instead of a floating desktop widget, so it stays out of your way.
What else does Notchy do besides music?
Synced lyrics, a clipboard history shelf, drag-and-drop file stash, Pomodoro timer, AirPods battery, system HUDs and AI usage tracking.