Crest vs Perch: which notch shelf holds what you need?
By the makers of Crest · updated July 2026 · full disclosure
| Crest | Perch | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $24.99 once, or $2.99 a month | Free with in-app purchases: $2.99/mo, $17.99/yr, lifetime from $19.99 |
| Free tier | Never expires, plus a 7-day Pro trial | Free download, paid unlocks |
| Clipboard history | ||
| Calendar and meetings | Next meeting, one-tap join, and a pre-call camera check | Calendar |
| Music | Now Playing with lyrics and the queue | |
| System stats | CPU, memory, disk, network, battery | |
| Developer tools | GitHub pull requests and CI, Claude Code, Codex and Copilot CLI sessions | |
| Agent approvals | Allow or Deny a Claude Code prompt from the notch | |
| On-device AI | Talks to your own Claude Code session | Apple Intelligence chat |
| Weather | ||
| Snippets |
Why Crest is better
- Cheaper by the year. $14.99 a year against Perch's $17.99, and Take and Minutes come with it.
- It covers more of the day. Music with lyrics, your next meeting, todos, system stats and the clipboard.
- It answers your agents. Allow or Deny a Claude Code prompt right on the notch.
- The free tier never expires. Now Playing, the Shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping stay free.
Full comparison and details
These two are aiming at the same idea from different angles: the notch should hold something useful. Perch is a light shelf with a subscription or a lifetime unlock. Crest is a wider control room for $24.99 once or $2.99 a month, with a real free tier under it. Here is what each actually puts up there.
Last updated: July 2026
Full disclosure: this page is published by the makers of Crest. Perch's prices and limits below are taken from Perch's own pages, checked in July 2026.
The short version
Pick Crest if you want the notch to answer more of the questions that make you open a window: what is playing, the meeting you are about to miss, your todos, CPU and battery, the Authenticator (your two-factor codes, typed in for you), and Claude Code asking permission. One payment, and a free tier that keeps working if you never pay.
Pick Perch if you want something small and quick, you like paying monthly to try before committing, and a clipboard, snippets, a timer and a file tray are the shape of what you are missing.
Side by side
The comparison table is at the top of this page.
Where Crest is better
- Cheaper by the year, and three apps for the money. Crest is $14.99 a year against Perch's $17.99, or $2.99 a month, the same as Perch, and that buys Take and Minutes too. Bought once, Crest is $24.99; Perch's lifetime unlock starts at $19.99.
- It covers more of the day. Music with lyrics, the meeting you are late for, todos, system stats, and the clipboard, so the notch replaces several trips to several windows rather than one.
- It answers your agents. When Claude Code asks permission, the prompt pins to the notch until you allow or deny it, on whatever display you are looking at. Nothing else in this category does that.
- The free tier is a real app. Now Playing, the Shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping stay free, not just for a fortnight: the free tier never expires.
Where Perch fits
- It is smaller. A handful of features and no panel to learn.
- You can rent it. $2.99 a month. Crest can be rented too, for $2.99 a month, or bought for $24.99 once.
- Weather and snippets. Two things Crest does not have.
- Apple Intelligence chat. Its AI runs on Apple's on-device models with nothing to configure. Crest's co-pilot needs your own Claude Code session.
The pricing math
Perch is free to download, then $2.99 a month, $17.99 a year, or a lifetime unlock starting at $19.99. Crest is $24.99 once, with Take and Minutes, or $2.99 a month, with a free tier that keeps working if you never pay and a 7 day trial of everything else.
If you like paying monthly to keep your options open, Perch is the easier start. If you would rather buy the thing and stop thinking about it, Crest costs the same as Perch's lifetime unlock and covers more of the day for it.
FAQ
Is Perch free?
It is a free download with in-app purchases: $2.99 a month, $17.99 a year, or a lifetime unlock starting at $19.99.
Can I run Perch and Crest at the same time?
Not comfortably. Both hang a panel from the notch and both react to your cursor arriving there, so they will fight over the same space. Try one at a time.
Does Crest have a free version?
Yes. Now Playing with lyrics, the file Shelf, the Clipboard and window snapping are free, and the free tier never expires. Pro, with Take and Minutes, is $24.99 once, or $2.99 a month.
Which is better for developers?
Crest. GitHub pull requests and CI status in the notch, plus live Claude Code, Codex and Copilot CLI sessions with permission prompts you answer without leaving what you are doing.
Does Crest work on a Mac without a notch?
Yes. On a Mac or a display without a notch, Crest sits in a small pill at the top of the screen and opens the same panel.
Put the notch to work
Music, the next meeting, todos, system stats, your clipboard and Claude Code approvals, one glance up. The free tier is a real app, not a demo.
Download Crest for macOS Get all three apps, $24.99In the official Homebrew cask
macOS 14 or later · Universal (Apple Silicon & Intel) · 7-day Pro trial, no card up front
More comparisons: Best Mac notch apps in 2026 · vs NotchNook · vs The Boring Notch · vs TopNotch · vs Notchmeister · vs Alcove · vs MediaMate · vs Droppy · Notch apps for AI agents · MediaMate vs Alcove · Notch app prices · vs Vibe Island · Music in the notch · File shelf apps · Clipboard history · Snap windows · Are notch apps safe? · Several Claude Code sessions · Calendar in the menu bar · Weather in the menu bar · Pomodoro timer · Claude Code vs Codex · Crest overview