Comparison

ntfy vs Shellbee

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

Shellbee

Features
Read full description

Your Zigbee network, in your pocket and on your iPad. Shellbee is a native app for Zigbee2MQTT. It connects straight to your bridge and gives you a fast, Apple-native way to watch, control and configure every device, with no cloud in between. REQUIRES A ZIGBEE2MQTT SERVER Shellbee is a client app. You need your own running Zigbee2MQTT instance and an access token. Local and remote setups both work. SEE EVERYTHING AT A GLANCE • A Home screen built from cards you choose and order: Bridge Health, Network, Link Quality, Batteries, Vendors and Activity. • Needs attention shows offline devices, low batteries and weak signal before you go looking. • A live Network Map of your whole mesh, with scan progress, filters and quick look (iPad). • An Activity Center that shows what your devices are doing as it happens. CONTROL AND CONFIGURE • Controls are generated from each device's Zigbee2MQTT exposes: lights, switches, covers, fans, locks, climate and sensors. • Every setting is grouped the same way on every device, using Zigbee2MQTT's own names. • Groups and scenes: browse, edit members, rename, drag devices in. • Favorites, filters and one search across devices, groups and the device library. • Bridge settings for MQTT, serial, network, OTA, logging, availability, Home Assistant and more. PAIR AND UPDATE WITH CONFIDENCE • Permit join and a step-by-step pairing guide with live progress. • Firmware updates with progress in Live Activities on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Offline device documentation for how to pair and what each device can do. MORE THAN ONE BRIDGE Connect several bridges at once and see them side by side. Each has its own colour and initial, and single-bridge users see nothing extra. MADE FOR IPHONE AND IPAD • Full iPad workspace with a sidebar, details side by side and extra windows. • Six colour themes: Standard, Honey, Meadow, Harbor, Lavender and Ember. • Real-time WebSocket connection over ws:// or wss://, with Bonjour discovery for .local hosts. • Built in SwiftUI with Live Activities, so it feels fast and native, not like a wrapped web page. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Talks only to the bridge you choose. No ads, no tracking, no analytics and no developer server. • Access tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain. • Crash reporting is optional and off by default. Nothing is sent unless you say so, and reports never include your bridge address, token or device names. OPEN SOURCE Shellbee is licensed under AGPL v3, with the source on GitHub.

Screenshots

ntfy2 screens
Shellbee4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Shellbee at every 2 days against ntfy's fortnightly. Shellbee also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). ntfy's advantage is ratings volume (452 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shellbee holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ntfy has 452 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Shellbee every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ntfy versus Shellbee: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterntfyShellbee
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (452 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings452 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilipp HeckelKenneth Berg

Customer experience

ntfy

All ratings452 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral1.5%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews171 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral5.8%
Negative15.8%

Shellbee

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Shellbee

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ntfy

No in-app purchases

None

Shellbee

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ntfy free?
ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shellbee free?
Shellbee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ntfy or Shellbee?
Shellbee is rated higher. ntfy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 452 ratings, while Shellbee averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ntfy or Shellbee have ads?
Neither ntfy nor Shellbee shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ntfy or Shellbee?
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and Shellbee every 2 days. Most recently, ntfy was updated on October 11, 2026 and Shellbee on October 12, 2026.

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