Comparison

ntfy vs Maccess

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

Maccess

Control your Mac remotely from your iPhone. Manage files, control media, and even use an AI assistant to perform tasks on your computer, all through an encrypted connection. Essential features are free locally, with advanced options available via subscription.

Highlights
  • Remote trackpad and keyboard control
  • Live screen mirroring
  • AI assistant for task execution
  • File browsing and management
  • Media and volume control
  • Send files from iPhone to Mac
  • Spotlight search on Mac
Features
Read full description

Your Mac, right there in your pocket. Pause the movie playing on your Mac without leaving the couch. Grab a file off your desktop from a coffee shop across town. Ask Mackie to open your presentation before you even sit down. Maccess turns your iPhone into a remote for everything your Mac can do — pairing takes one QR code scan, and every session is end-to-end encrypted. EVERYTHING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS • Trackpad and keyboard — smooth cursor control with multi-touch gestures, plus full text input • Live screen mirroring — watch your Mac's screen on your iPhone in real time • Works anywhere — on your home Wi-Fi, or from anywhere in the world over our cloud relay • Mackie, your AI assistant — talk or type, and Mackie sees your Mac's current state and gets it done • Spotlight search — find and launch anything on your Mac in seconds • Media and volume — play, pause, skip, and adjust volume from your phone • Send to Mac — beam photos and files from your iPhone straight to your desktop • Mac Finder — browse your Mac's files right from your phone • Screenshots — capture your Mac's screen and save it to your iPhone photo library • Apps and windows — see what's open, switch apps, and manage windows • Quick actions — screenshot, mute, keep awake, wake, sleep, and lock BUILT FOR TRUST • End-to-end encrypted with X25519 + ChaCha20-Poly1305 — your keystrokes, screen, and files are never readable by our servers, on local network or over the internet • Sign in with Apple — no passwords, no separate account • Pair in seconds by scanning a QR code REQUIRES THE FREE MACCESS HELPER Maccess works together with Maccess Helper, our free companion app for your Mac. Download it at https://maccess.io/download open it on your Mac, and scan the QR code once — local control over Wi-Fi works right away. MACCESS PRO The essentials are free on your local network. Maccess Pro unlocks remote access over the internet, the Mackie assistant, screen mirroring, Send to Mac, Spotlight search, Mac Finder, Apps & Windows, multiple Macs, advanced trackpad settings, and custom accent colors. Maccess Pro is an auto-renewable subscription: $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year, each with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://www.mymaccess.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ntfy2 screens
Maccess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ntfy at none against Maccess's 2. ntfy also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Maccess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price and ads 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. Maccess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Maccess every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ntfy versus Maccess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterntfyMaccess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (452 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings452 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilipp HeckelMaira Akram

Customer experience

ntfy

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

Maccess

Written reviews1 reviews
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

Maccess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ntfy

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Maccess

Subscriptions2
  • Maccess Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Maccess Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is ntfy free?
ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Maccess free?
Maccess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ntfy or Maccess have ads?
Neither ntfy nor Maccess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ntfy or Maccess?
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and Maccess every 2 days. Most recently, ntfy was updated on October 15, 2026 and Maccess on October 14, 2026.

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