# Pushover Notifications vs ntfy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ntfy at none against Pushover Notifications's 3. Pushover Notifications's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 79%) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 425). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pushover Notifications sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ntfy asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Pushover Notifications against 4.8 for ntfy. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pushover Notifications has 3.6K ratings behind it against 425, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Pushover Notifications's written reviews are positive against 79% of ntfy's.

Pushover Notifications ships an update every 4 weeks, ntfy fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pushover Notifications | ntfy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pushover-notifications/id506088175/reviews) | [4.8 (425 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.6K** | 425 |
| Positive reviews | **91.6% of reviews** | 78.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pushover, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/506088178) | [Philipp Heckel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1625396349) |

## What reviewers say

### Pushover Notifications

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pushover-notifications/id506088175)

This service sends custom push notifications from various web apps, scripts, and devices directly to your iPhone, iPad, or desktop. It offers a free trial with a one-time purchase for unlimited usage, and includes an Apple Watch app for on-the-go alerts.

**Highlights:** Custom push notifications, Web app integration, Script and IoT device support, Apple Watch app and complications, API for custom app development, Free 30-day trial

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pushover License | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic service
- 👍 Couldn't be easier
- 👍 Best App on my phone for awareness of energy efficient house
- 👍 Really good app
- 👍 Truly excellent

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stopped working after I paid for it
- 🐛 Hasn't worked yet
- 🐛 Charged twice for liscense
- 🐛 Needs volume for other things besides critical
- 🐛 Encrypted message

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working after update
- Syncing issues causing crashes
- Notifications re-appearing after being deleted

**Requested features**

- Add a delete all notifications option
- Add support for custom notification sounds
- Add 24-hour time format option
- Improve Apple Watch notifications
- Add custom actions to notifications


### ntfy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntfy/id1625396347)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 Great for self-hosting
- 👍 Reliable and works as expected
- 🚀 Quick and easy to set up
- 🚀 Lightweight and functional

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Notification issues on iOS
- 🔍 Limited features compared to other platforms
- 🔍 Lacks customization options
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or delivery issues

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications not working on iOS
- Broken click URLs in notifications
- Compatibility issues with iOS notification summarizing

**Requested features**

- Ability to change notification sounds
- Support for Apple Watch
- Customizable topic names/aliases
- Improved iOS notification handling
- All topics view and read/unread indicators


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pushover Notifications free?

Pushover Notifications is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ntfy free?

ntfy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pushover Notifications or ntfy?

Pushover Notifications and ntfy are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3.6K and 425 ratings respectively.

### Do Pushover Notifications or ntfy have ads?

Neither Pushover Notifications nor ntfy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pushover Notifications or ntfy?

Pushover Notifications ships an update every 4 weeks, and ntfy fortnightly. Most recently, Pushover Notifications was updated on September 24, 2026 and ntfy on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*