ntfy vs Shwidget
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Send notifications via REST API
- Subscribe to topics
- Publish messages via HTTP
- Integrates with Bash/PowerShell
- Free and open source client
Read full descriptionHide 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
Shwidget
Display your Google Sheets data directly on your iOS device's Home or Lock Screen. Monitor key values and KPIs automatically without needing to open the Sheets app.
- Display Google Sheets data in widgets
- Automatic widget updates
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
- No account required
- Privacy-friendly data handling
- Easy setup with Sheet and Cell IDs
Read full descriptionHide full description
Do you have a KPI or important value in Google Sheets that updates automatically, and you want to monitor it without constantly opening the Sheets app? Meet Shwidget, your solution! Shwidget is an iOS app that lets you display any Google Sheets cell value directly in a widget on your device. It automatically updates via iOS’s widget system, meaning you can keep tabs on your important data right from your Home or Lock Screen, without the need to check the Sheets app manually. Key Features: * Automatic updates using iOS’s widget update system. * Home Screen widgets in various sizes, as well as Lock Screen widgets. * Privacy-friendly: No account required, and your data never leaves your device. SETTING IT UP Getting started is easy! All you need is the Sheet ID and the Cell IDs of the data you want to display. Optionally, you can add titles for each value, which will appear in the widget for clarity. 1. Find the Sheet ID: This is the long string of characters in your Google Sheets URL (without the dashes). 2. Set Sharing Permissions: Make sure the sheet is set to “Anyone with the link” and read-only to allow Shwidget to fetch the data securely. Once you’ve set these up in the app, Shwidget takes care of the rest. The widget will automatically update at regular intervals thanks to iOS’s background system. PRO TIPS * How to Find the Sheet ID: Open your Google Sheet, and the ID is the long string of random characters in the URL between the slashes. For example: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CMvaCWBAsrAftZjT5nXlntTUsnmkkZDlxMkXhAd_sBs/ In this case, the Sheet ID is: 1CMvaCWBAsrAftZjT5nXlntTUsnmkkZDlxMkXhAd_sBs. Paste only this ID into the Shwidget app. (Tip: Double-check you’re not copying the entire URL!) * Sharing Permissions: Ensure your sheet’s general access is set to “Anyone with the link” and role set to “Viewer” to allow Shwidget access without making unnecessary changes to your security settings. * If your widget says "ERROR empty cell?" Then the cell is empty OR sharing is not properly done OR typo in the cell field. Trust me, its one of these. * Data Privacy: If you’re concerned about sharing sensitive data, consider creating a “proxy” spreadsheet and use Google Sheets’ IMPORTRANGE function to pull only the necessary data into a separate sheet that’s shared with Shwidget. EXAMPLE SETUP Test Shwidget with the example sheet below: Sheet ID: 1CMvaCWBAsrAftZjT5nXlntTUsnmkkZDlxMkXhAd_sBs Try cell IDs like D1, D2, D3 or E1-E7, and open the sheet to see the expected values. FREE vs PRO The free version of Shwidget lets you add one row or data field per widget. To unlock more rows, upgrade to the KPI Lover subscription for expanded functionality. The free version also includes a logo on the home screen widget and a subject text on the lock screen widget, which you can remove by subscribing. No hidden fees, no gimmicks — just more features and a cleaner experience! Cheers, Mikko P.S. Your feedback is always welcome! Drop me a line at mikko_a_appsipaja.fi. Terms of use, standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ntfy at 4.8 against Shwidget's 3.4. ntfy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (79% vs 50%). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. Shwidget sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.
ntfy holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ntfy has 425 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of ntfy's written reviews are positive against 50% of Shwidget's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ntfy | Shwidget |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (425 ratings) — better | 3.4 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 425 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Philipp Heckel | Appsipaja Oy |
Customer experience
ntfy
Shwidget
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
Shwidget
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ntfy
No in-app purchases
Shwidget
- Monthly payment7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly payment7 Days trial$19.991 Year









