October 2026. Checked on 4 October 2026. Written by the maker of NotchPixel, so read the last section with that in mind.
A notch app puts a small pill at the top centre of your screen. It shows what is playing and other live status, and opens into a card when you point at it. Below are the 25 other apps I found and checked for Windows, free ones first, and mine last.
The idea comes from the iPhone, where Apple calls it the Dynamic Island. On a PC there is no camera cut-out to wrap around, so these apps draw their own. Prices below are US prices in the Microsoft Store, on Steam or on the maker's site, as they were on 4 October 2026; one maker gives its price only in pounds, and I say so where it applies. I have not measured any other app's memory or CPU, so this page gives no performance figures for them.
If you only want the look, use a free one. The island mod for Windhawk is free and has 28,295 users in the Windhawk catalog. Dynamic Edge and Smart Notch are free in the Microsoft Store. V-Notch and qnotch are free and open source on GitHub.
The cheapest paid ones cost $0.99 to $1.99 in the Microsoft Store. Of those, Notchify ($1.99) has a long list of widgets.
NotchPixel ($9.99 once) is for people who want the notch to do particular jobs: a slim stats strip in games, one key to mute the microphone, files to your phone on the same Wi-Fi, and a stream chat drawer.
All of them at a glance
US prices and requirements as listed on the date in the last column. "Not stated" means the app's own page gives no minimum Windows version. Store versions are Windows 10 version numbers; 1809 is build 17763 and 2004 is build 19041.
Start here. Every one of these costs nothing to start with, and for many people one of them is enough.
The island mod for Windhawk
By Himanshu. Version 1.3.1, updated 26 September 2026. MIT licence.
Price
Free.
Windows 10
Its readme sets no minimum version. Its blur setting is described as needing Windows 10 version 1803 or newer.
Installs from
Windhawk, a free, open-source tool for installing small mods to Windows. Install Windhawk, then search its catalog for "island" and pick the mod by Himanshu.
Good at
Covering a lot for nothing: now playing with a waveform, calendar, weather, a hardware monitor, a game overlay with FPS, a file tray, what you last copied, Windows notifications, and dots when the microphone or camera is in use. It hides in fullscreen apps by default and has 12 languages. In the Windhawk catalog it has 28,295 users and a 9 out of 10 rating from 1,033 people.
Keep in mind
It runs inside Windhawk, so you keep Windhawk installed. Lasting settings live in Windhawk's Mod Settings tab; choices made from the island's right-click menu reset when the mod restarts.
If you only want media controls in the Windows 11 taskbar rather than a notch, Island Media Controls, also on Windhawk, does just that (8,823 users).
DynamicWin
By Florian Butz. Version 2.0.3, released 22 October 2025.
Price
Free.
Windows 10
Not stated.
Installs from
GitHub releases, as an installer or a portable zip. The repository now hosts releases only, not source code.
Good at
A media controller with favourites, a calendar that can connect to Google Calendar, a file tray whose files you can open or share through the Windows share dialog, and Bluetooth device battery. It updates itself.
Keep in mind
There has been no release since 22 October 2025, and the author's notes for the first version 2 release called it still unstable.
Dynamic Edge
By Eyuel Engida. In the Store since 20 August 2026, updated 4 October 2026.
Price
Free. An optional Dynamic Edge Plus add-on is $4.99 once.
Media: a seek bar, a switcher between players, and a volume flyout you can scroll. It can sit at the top or as a blade on the left or right edge, hides in fullscreen games, and has a clipboard shelf you can drop files on and three quick-launch slots. Five languages.
Keep in mind
Some customisation and power-user tools are in the paid Plus add-on.
Smart Notch
By Dev_avinash. In the Store since 12 May 2026, updated 30 September 2026.
Now playing with synced lyrics, volume and brightness pop-ups, Bluetooth battery, a focus timer with tasks, camera and microphone indicators, and weather. It can be a notch or a full bar, at the top or along a side. In the US Microsoft Store it has 4.3 stars from 7 ratings; Up A Notch is the only other Store app here with US ratings.
Keep in mind
The listing is in English only.
Halo DynamicWin
By Boy Labs. In the Store since 10 August 2026, updated 21 August 2026. MIT licence, source on GitHub.
Price
Free.
Windows 10
Version 2004 (build 19041) or later. x64 and ARM64.
Media, mirrored notifications, a file tray, download progress, Bluetooth battery, and panels for Claude Code and Codex sessions. Eight languages, with right-to-left layout for Arabic and Persian. It is the only Store app in this guide with an ARM64 build.
Keep in mind
It is new and small: no Store update since 21 August 2026, and a source repository that few people follow yet.
WinIsland
By Deep Skylabs. In the Store since 3 August 2026, updated 10 August 2026.
Now playing, a dock of quick actions (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, volume, Do Not Disturb, Snipping Tool and more) that you can reorder, your own shortcuts dropped onto the dock, the last 20 things you copied kept on the PC, battery status, and an animated panda that reacts to your typing.
Keep in mind
Its listing says it sends anonymised analytics. English only.
Notch X
By rahoz osman. In the Store since 9 September 2026, updated 10 September 2026.
It is an AI assistant first: chat, and answers about what is on your screen, next to widgets for media, system stats, stock prices, news and a calculator. The free tier has 10 AI requests a day and five widget slots.
Keep in mind
Its listing says the screen analysis runs on outside AI models (NVIDIA and DeepSeek), and most extras, including multi-monitor placement, are in the paid plans.
AWNA
Version 1.3.0 (its changelog gives no dates). Code-signed since version 0.3.0.
Price
The Today, Tasks, Music and Shelf tabs are free. £8 once unlocks everything else; its site gives the price in pounds only.
Windows 10
Windows 10 and 11, per its site. No admin rights needed.
Ten tabs of everyday tools: calendar and tasks, notes, timers and alarms, music, system controls and stats, an app launcher, a file shelf, clipboard history with search, and screen capture including scrolling screenshots and text from the screen. It also does dictation with Ctrl+Win. No account.
Keep in mind
Six of the ten tabs need the paid key.
Open source on GitHub. These five are free, and you can read their code. None of their installers is from the Microsoft Store, and the qnotch, WNotch and PILLAR readmes say their installers are not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may ask you to confirm the first run.
V-Notch
By rainaku. Version 1.9.3, released 24 September 2026. Apache 2.0 licence.
Price
Free. The author takes donations.
Windows 10
64-bit Windows 10 build 19041 or later, or Windows 11.
Installs from
GitHub releases. The smaller installer needs the .NET 8 or .NET 10 Desktop Runtime; the self-contained one does not.
Good at
Media controls with synced lyrics, system stats, privacy indicators, and a search launcher. It can stay a small pill or open into a larger floating panel.
Keep in mind
Some media extras rely on unofficial Spotify endpoints, which its readme says Spotify may restrict.
WNotch
By Brick-Bread. The app itself is called Notch. Version 0.12.1, released 3 October 2026. MIT licence.
Price
Free.
Windows 10
Not stated for the installer. Its readme calls it a notch for Windows 11.
Installs from
GitHub releases. It installs for your user only, without admin rights.
Good at
It leaves fullscreen games completely. Media with artwork, volume and brightness pop-ups, a file shelf, clipboard history, timers, calendar feeds, plugins, and a terminal inside the notch for Claude Code, Codex and opencode.
Keep in mind
It is moving fast: two releases on 3 October alone.
qnotch
By Somafet. Version 0.3.0, released 3 October 2026. MIT licence.
System stats, now playing, clipboard history with pins, microphone and camera indicators, notifications any script can post, search, and panels for Claude Code sessions. In games it shrinks to a one-line status bar. Features you switch off are not loaded.
Keep in mind
It is very new, at version 0.3.
Quick Pill
By Abrar Nabil (NeoSparkX). Version 5.3.0, released 2 October 2026. MIT licence.
Media controls, focus timers, notifications, system stats, a per-app volume mixer and an AI assistant.
Keep in mind
No release since 24 August 2026.
Paid options
Each of these is a one-time price, not a subscription. Cheapest first.
Nactro's notch app
By Nactro; its Store title uses Apple's trademark, so this guide names it by its maker and Store ID 9PGR4ZG2SXW0. In the Store since 8 December 2025, updated 27 July 2026.
Music controls, weather, CPU, RAM, GPU and network use, app shortcuts, clipboard history, and meeting controls with a camera preview and microphone switch.
Keep in mind
It also includes a "RAM booster" and temp-file cleaner, which go beyond what a notch usually does. English only.
BEEBHNY's notch app
By BEEBHNY; its Store title uses Apple's trademark, so this guide names it by its maker and Store ID 9P3N4V31JHDZ. Listed on 10 July 2026, with no update since.
Price
$1.49.
Windows 10
Version 1809 (build 17763) or later. The package is x86, which runs on 64-bit Windows too.
Breadth for the price: media with synced lyrics and a lyrics widget, a notifications panel, clipboard history with pins, a file tray, Bluetooth battery, and widgets for weather, calendar, timers, Pomodoro, notes and to-dos. It has 14 themes, a theme editor, and an option to follow your cursor across monitors. The description says 10 languages.
Keep in mind
Its listing does not describe a game overlay or a way to send files to a phone, so look elsewhere if you need either.
Up A Notch
By Hereafter2. In the Store since 1 December 2021, updated 9 June 2026.
Just the shape: a black notch on your main monitor, above every window and even the lock screen, with hotkeys to hide it and clicks that pass through it. It has been in the Store since 2021 and has 3.3 stars from 9 US ratings.
Keep in mind
It shows no music or status. The listing says gadgets will come later.
BuildNotch
By Tudor. Built on .NET and WinUI.
Price
$3 for its first 50 buyers, $4.99 after that, per its site on 4 October 2026.
Windows 10
Version 2004 or newer, x64.
Installs from
Its own site. After you buy, the installer comes from the seller's customer portal.
Good at
It is made for developers: project shortcuts, a launcher for AI apps on your PC, GitHub contribution activity, a code scratchpad, focus timers, tasks and notes, and music controls.
Keep in mind
Its site says the installer is not code-signed, so Windows may show an unrecognised-app warning the first time you run it.
A short pill that shows one thing at a time, and a big set of tools when open: media with synced lyrics, a calendar with Join buttons for Teams, Meet and Zoom, weather, clipboard history, a file tray that converts images and removes backgrounds, notes, system stats and notifications. When you maximise a window, it can move into a free gap on the taskbar. No account.
Keep in mind
It is at version 0.1, and the price triples after the first 50 licences.
Ghostly
By Holy Panda. In the Store since 14 April 2025, updated 13 May 2026.
Music controls with visualisers, quick-launch apps and websites, up to 50 clipboard items with search and pins, tasks, notes, reminders, a focus timer, and Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, battery, volume and brightness controls. Themes and gradients.
Keep in mind
Its listing does not describe a game overlay or a way to send files to a phone.
ZenithBar
By Henry Cauan. Version 0.2.10, released 11 September 2026.
Price
$12 once, after a 7-day free trial. Its site gives $19 as the regular price.
Windows 10
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
Installs from
Its own site, which links to an installer on GitHub.
Good at
Work tools: a visual clipboard history, a file shelf, Google Calendar events, media controls, notification previews, and pinned apps and sites. Clipboard history stays on the device, and its site says the core features need no account; the Google connection is optional.
Keep in mind
It is the most expensive app in this guide.
Not listed: one more Store app (Store ID 9P3XF1343S0X) still shows up in searches, but its Store page returned "product not found" on 4 October 2026.
How to get a notch on Windows 11 or 10, step by step
There are three free routes and one paid one. Each takes a few minutes.
With Windhawk (free)
Download Windhawk from its own site and install it.
Change its options in Windhawk's Mod Settings tab, so they last after a restart.
From the Microsoft Store (free)
Open the Microsoft Store app and search for the app's name, for example Dynamic Edge or Smart Notch.
Select Get or Install. The Store installs it and keeps it updated.
Open the app from Start. Use its own settings to choose where the pill sits and what it shows.
From GitHub (free, open source)
Open the project's Releases page, for example V-Notch or qnotch, and download the installer for the latest release.
Run it. Several of these installers are not code-signed, so if Windows SmartScreen asks, choose More info, then Run anyway, only if you trust the project.
Check the project's readme for anything else it needs, such as a .NET runtime.
Open it from Start. The notch sits at the top centre; rest the pointer on it to open it.
Is there a Dynamic Island for Windows?
Not from Apple. Dynamic Island is Apple's name for a feature of the iPhone, and Apple does not make it for Windows. What Windows has are notch apps from independent developers, such as the ones in this guide. None of them is made by Apple or Microsoft, even when an app's own name uses Apple's term.
Older how-tos from 2022 use XWidget, a free widget engine, with a downloadable skin. XWidget's own site lists its Windows version as dated 10 October 2022. The apps above are newer and do not need it.
NotchPixel
This one is mine, so it comes last. The same five questions, answered the same way.
NotchPixel
Published by KORE INDUSTRIES. In the Store since 29 September 2026, updated 3 October 2026. Version 0.5.64.
Price
$9.99 once in the US, after a 7-day free trial; other countries see their own local price. No subscription, no account.
Windows 10
Version 2004 (build 19041) or later, and Windows 11. x64 only.
Installs from
The Microsoft Store, which installs and updates it. Microsoft signs the package.
Good at
Doing jobs, not only showing status. In fullscreen games it hides, or shows a slim FPS, CPU, GPU and RAM strip, and reminders still show over the game. Ctrl+Alt+M mutes the microphone in every app, with a call timer. Its file shelf sends files to your phone and back on the same Wi-Fi with a QR code, with no app or account on the phone. Streamers get a Twitch or YouTube chat drawer and an OBS REC pill. It also has now playing, clipboard history with pins, mirrored notifications, volume and brightness pop-ups, screenshots and screen recording, and 21 languages. At idle it uses about 13 MB in Task Manager and 0% CPU (version 0.5.64, 3 Oct 2026; how it was measured).
Keep in mind
It costs more than most apps here, it is x64 only, and it is new: no ratings in the Store yet.
Which one should you pick
If you only want the look, use a free one. Paying for a pill that shows the song title makes little sense when several do that for nothing.
You already use Windhawk, or want the most features for free: the island mod for Windhawk.
You want a free app that the Microsoft Store installs and updates: Dynamic Edge or Smart Notch.
You want free and open source: V-Notch, qnotch or WNotch on GitHub.
Your PC has an ARM processor: Halo DynamicWin, the one Store app here with an ARM64 build.
You want lots of widgets and lyrics for very little: Notchify at $1.99.
You only want the notch shape, with nothing in it: Up A Notch.
You write code all day: BuildNotch is built around that, and WNotch and qnotch show Claude Code sessions for free.
NotchPixel is for you if you want the notch to take over a few specific jobs:
A slim FPS, CPU, GPU and RAM strip in fullscreen games, or nothing at all, and reminders that still reach you mid-game.
One key, Ctrl+Alt+M, that mutes your microphone in every app, with a call timer.
Files to your phone and back on the same Wi-Fi with a QR code, and nothing to install on the phone.
A Twitch or YouTube chat drawer and an OBS REC pill while you stream.
Scripts that can put lines and live tiles on it, through a local endpoint on your PC and a command-line tool.
About 13 MB in Task Manager and 0% CPU at idle (version 0.5.64, 3 Oct 2026; method and script).
Get NotchPixel
$9.99 once, after a 7-day free trial. No subscription, no account.
US price; the Store shows the price for your country. The Microsoft Store installs and updates it.
Questions
Is there a free notch app for Windows 11?
Yes. The island mod for Windhawk, DynamicWin, Dynamic Edge, Smart Notch, Halo DynamicWin, WinIsland, Notch X and Dlives are free, and so are the open-source V-Notch, WNotch, qnotch, Quick Pill and PILLAR on GitHub. Dynamic Edge sells an optional Plus add-on for $4.99, Pilly is free with paid plans in the app, and AWNA keeps four tabs free and charges £8 to unlock the rest. Checked on 4 October 2026.
Which notch apps work on Windows 10?
Most of them. Dynamic Edge, Smart Notch, WinIsland, Notch X, Dlives, the Nactro app, the BEEBHNY app, Notchify, Up A Notch and Ghostly list Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later in the Microsoft Store, and Pilly and PulseNotch list build 14316 or later. Halo DynamicWin, BuildNotch, V-Notch, qnotch and NotchPixel need Windows 10 version 2004 (build 19041) or later. DockBar, ZenithBar, AWNA, Quick Pill and PILLAR say Windows 10 or 11. The Windhawk mod, DynamicWin and WNotch do not state a minimum version. Notchio's site says Windows 11, and PulseNotch's site says it is made for Windows 11.
Do these apps work on a laptop?
Yes. Windows laptops have no camera cut-out at the top of the screen, and these apps do not need one: each draws its own pill at the top of the display, on a laptop screen or a desktop monitor alike.
Which ones are on GitHub?
V-Notch (Apache 2.0), WNotch, qnotch, Quick Pill, PILLAR, Dlives and Halo DynamicWin publish their source code on GitHub under open-source licences. DynamicWin hands out its installers through GitHub releases but no longer hosts its source there. ZenithBar links to an installer on GitHub. The island mod for Windhawk is MIT-licensed, and its source is in Windhawk's public mods repository on GitHub. NotchPixel is not open source.
Which one uses the least CPU?
I cannot say, because I have not measured the other apps. I measured only NotchPixel: about 13 MB in Task Manager and 0% CPU at idle (version 0.5.64, 3 October 2026). The footprint page has the method. Some other makers state their own figures; I have not checked them.
Which ones have an ARM64 version?
Of the Microsoft Store apps in this guide, only Halo DynamicWin lists an ARM64 build. The others, NotchPixel included, list x64 or x86 only.
Why pay $9.99 for NotchPixel when others are free?
If a free one does what you want, you do not need to. NotchPixel is for a set of jobs that no other listing here describes together: a slim FPS, CPU, GPU and RAM strip in fullscreen games, reminders over games, one key that mutes the microphone in every app with a call timer, files to your phone on the same Wi-Fi with a QR code, and a Twitch or YouTube chat drawer. It is $9.99 once in the US, with no subscription and no account, and the Microsoft Store installs and updates it.
Does NotchPixel need an account or collect data?
No. There is no account, no telemetry and no ads. The privacy policy lists exactly what the app reads on your PC.
Who wrote this guide?
The maker of NotchPixel. Facts about the other apps come from their Microsoft Store listings, the Windhawk catalog, GitHub, Steam and their own websites, all checked on 4 October 2026. I did not measure other apps' memory or CPU. If anything here is wrong, email info@notchpixel.live and I will correct it.
Where the facts come from
Prices, Windows versions, architectures, release and update dates, languages and US ratings for Store apps: the Microsoft Store's product data for the US market, read on 4 October 2026, for Dynamic Edge (9PF1587KSN2K), Smart Notch (9N1D46F5X565), Halo DynamicWin (9N9RS278CWK2), WinIsland (9NZS0L1XTQ8Q), Notch X (9N34ZHVH1SM7), Dlives (9P2XZRF8RLB2), Pilly (9NPVPL0SK4FR), the Nactro app (9PGR4ZG2SXW0), the BEEBHNY app (9P3N4V31JHDZ), Notchify (9P0JFN5L96VH), Up A Notch (9NNS08N6T354), Notchio (XP9D4PG828Q5W5), Ghostly (9NC1C7PGS3SP), PulseNotch (9NKGSHRPN1TF) and NotchPixel (9MXCRL0XBGPH). The app with Store ID 9P3XF1343S0X: its Store page returned "product not found" on 4 October 2026.
The island mod and Island Media Controls: the Windhawk mod catalog and the mod's own readme, read on 4 October 2026.
DynamicWin and Halo DynamicWin: their GitHub repositories and release notes, read on 4 October 2026. ZenithBar: its site and its GitHub releases, read on 4 October 2026.
DockBar: its Steam page, read on 4 October 2026. BuildNotch: its own site, read on 4 October 2026.
V-Notch: https://github.com/rainaku/V-Notch (readme and releases). WNotch: https://github.com/Brick-Bread/WNotch. qnotch: https://github.com/Somafet/qnotch. PILLAR: https://github.com/warpirate/pillar-dynamic-island-for-windows. Quick Pill: https://quickpill.neosparkx.com/ and https://github.com/nabil24024004/Quick-Pill-Dynamic-Island-for-Windows. Dlives: https://dlives.vercel.app/ and https://github.com/rootnode-rebels/Dlives. All read on 4 October 2026.
AWNA: https://awna.app/ and https://awna.app/changelog. Notchio: https://notchio.app/. PulseNotch: https://pulsenotch.netlify.app/. All read on 4 October 2026.
XWidget: https://www.xwidget.com/, read on 4 October 2026.
NotchPixel's memory and CPU: measured on an Intel Core i5-11400H laptop with Windows 10 22H2, method on the footprint page.
Written by the maker of NotchPixel, 3 October 2026. Updated 4 October 2026.
Prices and features change often in this category. If something here is wrong or out of date, email info@notchpixel.live and I will correct it.
