Comparison

ntfy vs Helmarr

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

Head to head
About

ntfy

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
Read full description

Send push notifications to your phone from any Bash or PowerShell script, or from your own app using PUT/POST requests, e.g. via curl on Linux or Invoke-WebRequest. ntfy is a client for https://ntfy.sh, a free and open source HTTP-based pub-sub service. You can subscribe to topics in this app, and then publish messages via a simple HTTP API. Uses: * Notify yourself when a long-running process is done * Ping your phone when a backup has failed * Alerts when someone logs into your server Example: $ curl -d "Your backup is done" ntfy.sh/mytopic Find more examples and usage instructions here: https://ntfy.sh/docs

About

Helmarr

Manage all your self-hosted services from a single, native iOS interface. Seamlessly integrate and control applications like Sonarr, Radarr, and Unraid with advanced features and customization.

Highlights
  • Unified experience for multiple services
  • Smart multi-network connectivity
  • Deep customization options
  • Home screen widgets
  • Unraid control
  • Push notifications
  • SSH & SFTP access
  • Download management
Features
Read full description

Helmarr provides a unified, native iOS interface for your self-hosted services. Stop relying on responsive web UIs and manage your entire stack in an app where your services actually work hand-in-hand. Currently supported: Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Bazarr, Unraid, SSH (+SFTP), Tautulli, Jellystat, Overseerr, Jellyseerr, Seerr, qBt, SABnzbd, NZBGet, Wizarr, Prowlarr, Transmission, Deluge. Key Features: - A Truly Unified Experience: Your stack shouldn't feel like separate silos. Helmarr brings Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Seerr, and Tautulli together. Browse your library, approve requests, and view active streams in one seamless interface. - Smart Connectivity: Full multi-network support allows you to define primary and fallback hosts. Helmarr automatically switches between your LAN IP and WAN/DNS address depending on where you are. - Make It Your Own: Deep customization options let you tweak the app to your liking. Change accent colors, rearrange your tab bar, and set custom headers to match your personal aesthetic. - Home Screen Widgets: Keep an eye on your download queue, upcoming releases, or server stats at a glance without even opening the app. - Unraid Control: Real-time monitoring of Shares, Parity status, Disks, and Warnings. Start/Stop Docker containers and VMs instantly. - Push Notifications: Stay in the loop with configurable alerts for grabs, successful imports, and critical health checks. - Terminal & Vitals: Full SSH & SFTP access with live resource monitoring (CPU/RAM/Net). Manage processes and containers via command line. - Download Management: Remote control for SABnzbd and NZBGet. Pause, resume, reorder queues, and set speed limits on the fly. - Release Browser: Don't just rely on automation—search, filter, and manually grab specific releases with ease. - Onboarding: Generate and manage user invites via Wizarr. Website: https://helmarr.com/ Terms of Service: https://helmarr.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://helmarr.com/privacy

Screenshots

ntfy2 screens
Helmarr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ntfy at none against Helmarr's 19. ntfy also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). Helmarr's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Helmarr sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ntfy against 4.9 for Helmarr. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 425 and 172 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of ntfy's written reviews are positive against 76% of Helmarr's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Helmarr weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ntfy versus Helmarr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterntfyHelmarr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (425 ratings)4.9 (172 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better75.9% of reviews
Number of ratings425 — better172
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB170 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilipp HeckelFlorian Ernst

Customer experience

ntfy

All ratings425 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral1.6%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews142 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral4.9%
Negative16.2%

Helmarr

All ratings172 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative16.6%

Bugs and requests

ntfy

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Helmarr

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ntfy

No in-app purchases

19 purchases

Helmarr

Subscriptions3
  • Helmarr Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Ultra Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Helmarr Pro Yearly Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time16
  • Bazarr$3.99
  • Deluge$4.99
  • Plex$4.99
Show 13 more
  • Transmission$4.99
  • NZBGet$4.99
  • Lidarr$4.99
  • Unraid$4.99
  • SABnzbd$4.99
  • Tautulli$4.99
  • Sonarr$4.99
  • Radarr$4.99
  • Seerr$4.99
  • qBt$4.99
  • Prowlarr$4.99
  • Helmarr Pro - Lifetime$29.99
  • Lifetime Pro$34.99

Questions

Is ntfy free?
ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Helmarr free?
Helmarr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ntfy or Helmarr?
Helmarr is rated higher. ntfy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 425 ratings, while Helmarr averages 4.9 from 172 ratings.
Do ntfy or Helmarr have ads?
Neither ntfy nor Helmarr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ntfy or Helmarr?
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and Helmarr weekly. Most recently, ntfy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Helmarr on September 22, 2026.

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