Favorites Widget Pro vs NotchBud
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Favorites Widget Pro
Instantly call or text your most important contacts directly from your lock and home screens. Organize contacts into groups for quick access and even send group messages. Integrates with popular messaging apps and ride-sharing services.
- Call & Text from Notification Center
- Contact Groups
- Unlimited Contacts & Groups
- Multiple Messaging App Support
- Ride-Sharing Integration
- Customizable Styles
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Call and text your favorite contacts directly from the Lock and Home Screens! Featured by Lifehacker! With Favorites Widget, it's one tap from the lock and home screen to call and text your favorite contacts. Support calling, message, WhatsApp, Slack, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, email, and FaceTime. You can also organize contacts in groups (e.g. Family, Friends, Work) and access them directly from the widget or send group messages. Quickly order Uber or Lyft to your favorite places from the widget. Slack support: Quickly open your channels and Slack contacts from the widget. Features: ● Call & Text from the Notification Center ● Groups ● Unlimited contacts and groups ● Endless styles ● Call & Message ● WhatsApp ● Telegram ● Slack ● Facebook Messenger ● Email ● FaceTime & FaceTime Audio ● Uber and Lyft integration ● Full support for iOS 16
NotchBud
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NotchBud brings your daily briefing, meetings, and todos together on Mac and iPhone. BRIEFINGS FROM YOUR AI Use the setup prompts with an AI assistant that can write files to your selected folder. NotchBud renders daily Markdown briefings as readable cards. Prioritize or clear items, and let your assistant read that feedback when preparing the next brief. AI services and their connections are set up separately. TODOS IN CONTEXT Add tasks, mark priorities, and check off completed work. Completed items stay visible for the day, so you can see your progress. MEETINGS CLOSE AT HAND Connect your calendar to see upcoming meetings and open available video meeting links. Meeting reminders and supported Live Activities help you keep track of what comes next. AT A GLANCE ON IPHONE Read briefings and manage todos with briefing, todo, and combined widgets. Move between recent briefs and capture tasks on the go. YOUR DAY UNDER THE NOTCH On Mac, hover the MacBook notch to see your briefing, next meeting, and todo list. Capture a thought with Control-Space and keep working. YOUR OWN FILES Choose the NotchBud iCloud folder to sync your briefs and app data across your devices. NotchBud works with daily Markdown files. No NotchBud account is required. Free download with a one-time Lifetime Unlock for Mac and iPhone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Favorites Widget Pro at every 4 days against NotchBud's every 3 weeks. 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
Both are free to download. Favorites Widget Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and NotchBud sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Favorites Widget Pro ships an update every 4 days, NotchBud every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Favorites Widget Pro | NotchBud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (3.8K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Guy Gubi | Bob Van den Audenaerde |
Bugs and requests
Favorites Widget Pro
Reported bugs
4 issues- 3D Touch not working
- Widget not loading properly
- Inability to restore premium purchase
- Contacts not displaying correctly
Requested features
7 requests- Larger contact icons
- Multiple widgets/pages
- More communication options (e.g., Instagram)
- Ability to choose contact number
- Transparent widget background
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- Alphabetical contact order
- Larger text/icons for accessibility
NotchBud
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Favorites Widget Pro
- Premium Features$1.99
NotchBud
- 7-Day TrialFree
- Lifetime Unlock$12.99
Questions
Is Favorites Widget Pro free?
Is NotchBud free?
Do Favorites Widget Pro or NotchBud have ads?
Which is updated more often, Favorites Widget Pro or NotchBud?
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