Notify NYC vs Hercules CyclePay
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Notify NYC
Receive official emergency alerts and information about important City services directly from New York City. This app provides location-based updates to keep you informed about emergency events.
- Official emergency communications
- Location-based alerts
- Information on emergency events
- Updates on City services
- Privacy-focused location tracking
Read full descriptionHide full description
Notify NYC is New York City's official emergency communications program. Get the Notify NYC app to get information about emergency events and important City services, based on your location. New York City will never track or share your precise location with anyone.
Hercules CyclePay
Easily start washing machine and dryer cycles using your phone at participating laundry locations. Send service requests directly through the app for any issues encountered.
- Start washer and dryer cycles
- Phone-based cycle activation
- Send service requests
- Real-time machine status (select locations)
Read full descriptionHide full description
IMPORTANT: ONLY WORKS IN HERCULES LAUNDRY LOCATIONS. LOOK FOR SIGNAGE. You can easily start cycles on washers and dryers in your laundry room with your phone. You can also send service requests if needed. * Real-time machine status only at select locations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Hercules CyclePay at 4.3 against Notify NYC's 3.3. Hercules CyclePay also leads on ratings volume (2.3K vs 88) and review sentiment (42% vs 25%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Hercules CyclePay holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hercules CyclePay has 2.3K ratings behind it against 88, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Notify NYC's written reviews are positive against 42% of Hercules CyclePay's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Notify NYC | Hercules CyclePay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (88 ratings) | 4.3 (2.3K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews | 41.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 88 | 2.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Department of Information Technology And Telecomm | Hercules Corp |
Customer experience
Notify NYC
Hercules CyclePay
User reviews
Notify NYC
From 88 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful app for emergencies
- 👍 Good for staying informed
- 👍 Replaces email alerts
- 👍 Official emergency notification system
- 👍 Synthesized notifications from multiple agencies
Room to improve
- 🐛 Endless pop-up notifications
- 🐛 Cannot dismiss old alerts
- 🐛 Required missing person alerts
- 🐛 Overwhelms with too many alerts
- 🔋 Drains battery significantly
Hercules CyclePay
From 2.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Convenient app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features like notifications
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Unreliable machine status
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 💰 Overcharging issues
- 🤖 Buggy and glitchy
Bugs and requests
Notify NYC
Reported bugs
13 issues- Pop-up notifications repeat endlessly and cannot be dismissed
- Notification preferences cannot be saved
- App randomly closes when in use
- Cannot get past the Terms of Use agreement
- No accept button to press on terms of service
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Repeatedly popping up old notifications
- Alerts keep popping up incessantly
- Parking reform pop up won’t stop popping up
- Old notifications upon opening app
- Ignores notification settings on iPhone
- Cannot navigate app when open
- Required missing person alerts cannot be deactivated
- Missing pictures in missing person alerts
Requested features
13 requests- Allow deactivation of missing person alerts
- Include pictures in missing person alerts
- Add a share button for alerts
- Allow users to choose which alerts they receive (without mandatory ones)
- More granular alert controls
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Option to receive amber/grey alerts
- Ability to set neighborhood for localized alerts
- Dismiss All button for pop-up notifications
- Eliminate pop-ups and rely on banner notifications
- Fix inability to navigate app when open
- Update the app regularly
- Improve alert detail and specificity
- Allow users to toggle off ALL categories of alerts
Hercules CyclePay
Reported bugs
4 issues- Machines not connecting to app
- Incorrect cycle time reporting
- Charges without starting machines
- Frequent app crashes
Requested features
4 requests- Allow manual time input for dryers
- Improve machine status visibility
- Implement remote machine control
- Save payment information
In-app purchases
Notify NYC
No in-app purchases
Hercules CyclePay
No in-app purchases
