Agent HUD vs AgentNotch: Mac Notch App Comparison
Agent HUD and AgentNotch both monitor coding agents from the Mac notch, show plan usage and offer supported approvals and completion reminders. Agent HUD adds free local features, a four-edge Dynamic Dock and optional iPhone and Apple Watch viewing. AgentNotch sells its Mac app as a one-time purchase after a trial.
Start with your clients and workflow
AgentNotch is worth considering if its documented integrations match your work: project and worktree grouping, context gauges, session focus and supported approvals. Its client pages explain what it adds to Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and other tools.
Agent HUD is worth considering if you want free local quotas, activity, approvals and session statistics, a HUD on any display edge, or a path to viewing your Macs on iPhone and Apple Watch. Support still varies by client and account.
Capabilities side by side
| Need | Agent HUD | AgentNotch |
|---|---|---|
| Mac status | Local activity, waiting requests and recorded turns for supported clients. | Coding-agent states, project/worktree grouping and session focus. |
| Plan usage | Reported quota windows and reset times; token counts stay separate from quota. | Provider plan limits, usage bars and reset times. |
| Approvals | Claude Code, Codex and other supported clients; Claude Code questions can be answered. | In-place approvals are documented for supported clients, including OpenCode. |
| Completion reminders | HUD reminders for supported clients; opens that session's statistics. | Finish and needs-input alerts, with sound controls documented. |
| Token history | Five non-overlapping token kinds, model/session totals and supported per-turn/per-call details. | Token History with Today, seven-day and thirty-day views, provider breakdowns and shareable charts. |
| External displays | Per-display settings; Dynamic Dock can be dragged to any of four edges. | Multiple displays and displays without a notch are documented; four-edge docking was not confirmed. |
| iPhone and Watch | Remote adds quota, activity and statistics on iPhone, widgets and Apple Watch; phone conversations are read-only. | An official iPhone or Apple Watch companion was not confirmed in the reviewed sources. |
| Free and paid | Local Mac features are free; Apache-2.0 Open core. Remote viewing is paid. | A trial followed by a one-time purchase for the Mac app, as listed on its official site. |
Approvals and completion are separate capabilities
Both products document in-place approval workflows. Check the exact client instead of assuming that every detected agent can answer requests from the panel.
AgentNotch's OpenCode page documents approving requests from the notch. Agent HUD's OpenCode plugin provides supported completion reminders; it does not add OpenCode permission approvals. For Agent HUD's Claude Code and Codex approvals, keep Client hooks enabled and trust the Codex hook in Codex's own settings.
Agent HUD's Mac reminders appear on the HUD rather than in Notification Centre. Selecting a completion reminder opens session statistics. A finished turn reports that the turn ended; it does not prove the task passed its checks.
Use token history without confusing it with quota
Both products have token history. AgentNotch's changelog documents period views, provider breakdowns and shareable charts, so token statistics are not an Agent HUD-only feature.
Agent HUD lets you inspect five token kinds, models and sessions, with per-turn and per-call detail for clients whose records support it. The default Token view leaves cache reads out; session totals include them. API-price amounts are estimates, separately from subscription charges.
For either app, check how the selected period, account and token categories match your question. A token total cannot establish a provider's remaining plan percentage by itself.
Different displays and viewing away from the Mac
Neither choice requires treating external displays as an afterthought. AgentNotch documents multiple-display switches and behaviour on displays without a notch. Agent HUD gives each display its own mode and placement, with Dynamic Dock on the top, right, bottom or left edge.
For viewing away from the Mac, Agent HUD Remote connects to the free iPhone and Apple Watch apps. See quota, session activity and statistics, use widgets, and read supported Claude Code or Codex conversations on iPhone. Use the same Apple Account in system settings; Watch receives data from its paired iPhone.
Agent HUD Remote viewing is a paid feature. Approvals and replies remain on the Mac. The reviewed AgentNotch sources did not establish a phone or Watch companion; check its current offering if this is a requirement.
Sources and comparison limits
This capability comparison is published by Agent HUD and follows official public sources checked on 7 October 2026. It does not rank performance or claim that an unconfirmed feature is absent.
Compare the current apps with your own clients and account. Both can depend on the data an agent exposes; installation, permissions and account types affect what you see. Check each product's current terms before choosing a paid option.
AgentNotch official site and purchase terms
Agent HUD Open source and documentation
Common questions
- Are both products Mac notch apps for coding agents?
- Yes. Both document coding-agent status, plan usage, approvals for supported clients and completion reminders. Their client coverage, display options, statistics and purchase models differ.
- Is Agent HUD a free AgentNotch alternative?
- Agent HUD's local Mac features are free. Its optional Remote viewing is paid. AgentNotch's official site lists a trial and a one-time purchase for the Mac app.
- Does AgentNotch support token history and external displays?
- Yes. Its official changelog documents Token History with several periods and provider breakdowns, plus multiple-display switches and behaviour on displays without a notch.
- Can Agent HUD approve OpenCode requests from the notch?
- No. Its OpenCode plugin supports completion reminders. AgentNotch's official OpenCode page documents in-place approvals, so compare the actual client capability you need.
Related tasks and tools
Get Agent HUD for your Mac
Download the Mac release. Local monitoring, quotas, tokens and supported approvals are free. macOS 14 or later is required; available readings depend on the client.
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · The behaviour described here is documented in full, with the code it comes from, in Agent HUD Open. github.com/jazzenchen/agent-hud-open