Comparison

ntfy vs Couchside

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

Couchside

Transform your iPhone into a remote console, game launcher, and controller for your Linux gaming PC. Monitor system health, fix issues without a keyboard, and launch games directly from your couch.

Highlights
  • Live system monitoring dashboard
  • One-tap runbook actions for troubleshooting
  • Browse system logs remotely
  • Launch Steam games and custom applications
  • Virtual Xbox 360 game controller
  • Trackpad and swipe control modes
  • Easy QR code pairing
Features
Read full description

Couchside turns your iPhone into a dashboard, remote, game launcher and controller for your living-room Linux gaming PC: SteamOS, Bazzite, a docked Steam Deck, or another supported systemd Linux box. WHAT TO PLAY NEXT Find your next game with suggestions from your box’s game history. See what is running, choose another suggestion, and launch after confirming. The Play tab keeps recent content ready as you move between tabs. Optional demo mode lets you explore sample games away from your box. YOUR STEAM COMPANION Connect Steam on your box for profile and library stats, playtime trends, achievement progress, wishlist discounts and price-drop alerts. Add an optional IsThereAnyDeal integration for historical-low price comparisons. These opt-in features contact Steam and IsThereAnyDeal. Background wishlist notifications are best-effort and need your phone to reach the box. LIVE CONSOLE Check CPU temperature, load, memory, storage, uptime and service health. Supported handhelds also show battery and power information. See what is playing and manage multiple boxes from unified cards with live vitals and connection controls. When the TV is black, inspect the box from your phone. FIX IT FROM THE COUCH Read recent service logs, restart the display session, switch between Desktop and Game Mode, or reboot and shut down with confirmation. Available actions depend on your box’s capabilities and permissions. GAMES, STREAMING AND CONTROLS Browse installed games with cover art, search and filters. Launch a game on the TV or start Steam Remote Play from another PC. Use a virtual gamepad, swipe navigation, trackpad with two-finger gestures, or keyboard input. Landscape controls give you more room when you need it. TV AND LIGHTING Control power, volume and input on supported TVs, including compatible LG and Google TV models. Compatible HDMI-CEC hardware lets the box control the TV. On supported lighting hardware, adjust strip effects, reactive meters and artwork-inspired Game Aura presets. Create custom sequences with frame-by-frame timing and true on/off strobe effects. EASY PAIRING A welcome guide introduces Couchside and optional integrations. Install the free Couchside service on your box, then scan its QR code or enter its pairing PIN. Refined animations can be turned off in Preferences and respect Reduce Motion. Your phone and box must be on the same local network. WAKE FROM THE COUCH Wake supported Ethernet-connected boxes with progress and reconnection confirmation. On iPhone, waking may require another awake Couchside box on the same network to relay the request. Hardware, firmware and network settings must support Wake-on-LAN. PRIVATE LOCAL CONTROL Remote-control traffic stays on your local network, with no cloud relay or Couchside account. Pairing supports an encrypted, pinned connection. Optional online features, store purchases and update checks contact their respective services. No analytics. The Linux service is open source and the app is source-available. TRY FREE FOR 7 DAYS, PAY ONCE Download free and try the full app for 7 days. A one-time purchase unlocks continued use; there is no subscription. Existing unlocks carry forward. REQUIREMENTS • A supported Linux gaming box on your home network • The free Couchside service installed on that box • Your iPhone and box on the same LAN • Optional integrations and hardware for Steam account features, TV control and lighting

Screenshots

ntfy2 screens
Couchside4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ntfy at none against Couchside's 1. ntfy also leads on ratings volume (452 vs 8). Couchside's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Couchside 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 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of ntfy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Couchside's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ntfy ships an update fortnightly, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ntfy versus Couchside: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterntfyCouchside
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (452 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings452 — better8
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhilipp HeckelTaylor Emery

Customer experience

ntfy

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

Couchside

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 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

Couchside

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ntfy

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Couchside

One-time1
  • Couchside Forever Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is ntfy free?
ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Couchside free?
Couchside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ntfy or Couchside?
Couchside is rated higher. ntfy averages 4.8 out of 5 from 452 ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do ntfy or Couchside have ads?
Neither ntfy nor Couchside shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ntfy or Couchside?
ntfy ships an update fortnightly, and Couchside every 2 days. Most recently, ntfy was updated on October 18, 2026 and Couchside on October 10, 2026.

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