# Hermes vs ntfy

The clearest difference is rating: ntfy at 4.7 against Hermes's 3.0. ntfy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months). Hermes's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hermes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ntfy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ntfy has 477 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Hermes's written reviews are positive against 79% of ntfy's.

Hermes ships an update every 11 months, ntfy fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hermes | ntfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hermes-notification-manager/id1547179180/reviews) | **[4.7 (477 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **477** |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **78.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 16 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Funk-iSoft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/438852957) | [Philipp Heckel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625396349) |

## What reviewers say

### Hermes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hermes-notification-manager/id1547179180)

This app forwards notifications from your Mac to your iPhone using a cloud-based service. It offers an easy-to-use API and a dedicated email address for integration into automated workflows. Customize forwarding rules to filter notifications and ensure only important alerts reach your device.

**Highlights:** Mac to iPhone notification forwarding, Cloud-based service, Easy-to-use API, Dedicated email address for integration, Customizable forwarding rules, Smart filtering per app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.49 | per month |
| Semi-Annual Subscription | $2.49 | per 6 months |
| Annual Subscription | $3.99 | per year |


### ntfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347)

This app allows you to send push notifications to your phone from scripts or other applications using simple HTTP requests. It acts as a client for a free, open-source pub-sub service, enabling you to receive alerts and updates directly on your device.

**Highlights:** Send notifications via REST API, Subscribe to topics, Publish messages via HTTP, Integrates with Bash/PowerShell, Free and open source client

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Great for self-hosting
- 👍 Reliable and works as expected
- 🚀 Quick and easy to set up
- 🚀 Lightweight and functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notification issues on iOS
- 🔍 Limited features compared to other platforms
- 🔍 Lacks customization options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or delivery issues

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working on iOS
- Broken click URLs in notifications
- Compatibility issues with iOS notification summarizing

**Requested features**

- Ability to change notification sounds
- Support for Apple Watch
- Customizable topic names/aliases
- Improved iOS notification handling
- All topics view and read/unread indicators


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hermes free?

Hermes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ntfy free?

ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hermes or ntfy?

ntfy is rated higher. Hermes averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while ntfy averages 4.7 from 477 ratings.

### Do Hermes or ntfy have ads?

Neither Hermes nor ntfy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hermes or ntfy?

Hermes ships an update every 11 months, and ntfy fortnightly. Most recently, Hermes was updated on October 15, 2026 and ntfy on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*