Comparison

ntfy vs DimDash

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

DimDash

Features
Read full description

DimDash turns your iPad into a beautiful, always-on smart home dashboard with intelligent auto-dimming, device display controls, and full-screen kiosk mode for wall-mounted setups. Point DimDash at any Home Assistant, Grafana, Dashy, Homarr, Glance, Node-RED, or Flame dashboard and walk away. When you stop interacting with the screen, DimDash smoothly dims the display so it does not burn in or blast light across the room at night. Touch anywhere to wake it instantly. How it works DimDash loads your dashboard URL in a full-screen web view. An idle timer starts after your last interaction. When it expires, a smooth overlay fades in to dim the display. Touch the screen and the overlay fades out with your dashboard exactly where you left it. Device display controls DimDash can keep your device awake while the app is open so your wall panel does not lock. You can also enable DimDash Brightness to apply a chosen device brightness whenever the app is active. Dashboard customization Hide Home Assistant header or sidebar chrome with built-in kiosk URL controls. Use opt-in JavaScript Injection snippets to hide common nav bars, prefer dark mode, disable text selection, hide scrollbars, or add your own validated script that runs after the dashboard loads. Integration templates Getting started takes seconds. Choose from built-in templates for Home Assistant, Grafana, Dashy, Homarr, Glance, Node-RED, and Flame. DimDash auto-fills recommended settings. For Home Assistant, DimDash can discover local instances, run OAuth sign-in, pick a dashboard, securely store credentials, and silently refresh access inside the web view. Made for wall panels Full-screen display with no visible browser chrome. Keeps the screen awake while DimDash is open. Optional device brightness control. Pull-to-refresh for stuck dashboards. Supports HTTP and HTTPS, including local network addresses. Home Assistant header/sidebar hiding and JavaScript Injection with helpful snippets and syntax validation. Works on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 16 or later. DimDash Pro DimDash Pro is an App Store subscription that unlocks the full kiosk experience: Multi-Dashboard: configure up to 5 dashboards. Dashboard Cycling: automatically rotate through selected dashboards in your chosen order, with a custom duration for each dashboard. Preloaded Cycling: cycle dashboards stay loaded in the background for smoother transitions. Cycle Dimming Control: choose whether dimming applies to the whole cycle or stays disabled while cycling. Proximity Detection: uses the front camera locally to detect your presence, dim when you leave, and wake when you return. No video is recorded or transmitted. Scheduled Night Mode: apply deeper dimming during quiet hours. Custom Overlay Color: choose any dim overlay tint. Privacy first DimDash processes everything on-device. No account required. No analytics. No cloud backend. Dashboard credentials are stored in the iOS Keychain. Camera access for proximity detection is optional and can be revoked at any time. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.nick-renard.com/privacy

Screenshots

ntfy2 screens
DimDash1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ntfy at none against DimDash's 2. DimDash's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. DimDash sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, DimDash every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ntfy versus DimDash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterntfyDimDash
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (442 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings442 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilipp HeckelNicholas Renard

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

DimDash

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ntfy

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

DimDash

Subscriptions2
  • DimDash Pro Monthly1 Month trial$0.991 Month
  • DimDash Pro Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is ntfy free?
ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DimDash free?
DimDash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ntfy or DimDash have ads?
Neither ntfy nor DimDash shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ntfy or DimDash?
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and DimDash every 3 days. Most recently, ntfy was updated on September 30, 2026 and DimDash on September 13, 2026.

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