Comparison

Notify NYC vs NYC Block Check

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Official emergency communications
  • Location-based alerts
  • Information on emergency events
  • Updates on City services
  • Privacy-focused location tracking
Features
Read 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.

About

NYC Block Check

Access real-time New York City data on crime, parking, violations, and local government activity. Explore interactive maps and receive smart notifications about neighborhood changes. Get detailed reports for any address to understand your block better.

Highlights
  • Live NYC map with 9 data layers
  • Address reports with crime trends and violations
  • Smart notifications for neighborhood activity
  • Restaurant grade and school information
  • Local government and city updates
  • Export and share reports
Features
Read full description

NYC Block Check is an independent guide to public information around a New York City address. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the City of New York, NYPD, MTA, New York State, or any government agency. It does not provide official government services or emergency dispatch. Check parking rules and street-cleaning schedules, subway and bus service, trash and recycling collection, 311 service requests, building and housing records, inspections, crashes, local events, and other neighborhood information in one place. Save the places that matter to you and choose which alerts you want to receive. The map and address reports organize records from NYC Open Data and responsible agencies, including NYC 311, DOT, DOF, NYPD, HPD, DOB, DOHMH, DSNY, NYC Public Schools, and NYC Emergency Management. Transit information comes from MTA; traffic and camera information comes from 511NY. Other identified sources include Citi Bike/Lyft, OpenStreetMap, and the National Weather Service. News cards identify their publisher and link to the original article. NYC Block Check creates its own summaries, categories, comparisons, and countdowns from cited records. These are informational estimates, not official government findings. Public data can be delayed, incomplete, or revised; a complaint or request does not prove an outcome. Check time-sensitive details with the linked original source. Call 911 for emergencies and 311 for official NYC services. Full source links are available in Settings → Sources & Independence. Privacy Policy: https://nycintel.app/app-privacy Terms of Use: https://nycintel.app/app-terms APPLE WATCH Block scores, subway arrivals and MTA alerts from your paired iPhone. Uses your existing full access or trial.

Screenshots

Notify NYC4 screens
NYC Block Check4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NYC Block Check at 100% against Notify NYC's 25%. NYC Block Check also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). Notify NYC's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (99 vs 27). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NYC Block Check sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Notify NYC asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NYC Block Check holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 99 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Notify NYC's written reviews are positive against 100% of NYC Block Check's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notify NYC ships an update every 2 months, NYC Block Check every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Notify NYC versus NYC Block Check: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotify NYCNYC Block Check
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (99 ratings)4.6 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings99 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB154 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDepartment of Information Technology And TelecommDmytro Polokhalo

Customer experience

Notify NYC

All ratings88 ratings
Positive52.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative42.0%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive25.5%
Neutral2.0%
Negative72.5%

NYC Block Check

All ratings27 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

NYC Block Check

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Notify NYC

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

NYC Block Check

Subscriptions2
  • NYC Intel Pro – Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • NYC Intel Pro – Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Notify NYC free?
Notify NYC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NYC Block Check free?
NYC Block Check is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Notify NYC or NYC Block Check?
NYC Block Check is rated higher. Notify NYC averages 3.3 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while NYC Block Check averages 4.6 from 27 ratings.
Do Notify NYC or NYC Block Check have ads?
Neither Notify NYC nor NYC Block Check shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notify NYC or NYC Block Check?
Notify NYC ships an update every 2 months, and NYC Block Check every 4 days. Most recently, Notify NYC was updated on October 24, 2026 and NYC Block Check on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons