Compare
Tellie vs. NotchPrompter, honestly compared
Both follow the words you say. Tellie also keeps track of the points you came to make. Both live in the MacBook notch and stay invisible on a shared screen. NotchPrompter is free and open source; Tellie has a free tier and a one-time $29 Pro.
Each download unlocks all of Tellie for 10 days. No account, no card.
The core difference
Both follow your words. Here’s the difference.
NotchPrompter
Word by word, free and open source
A free, MIT-licensed notch prompter, on GitHub and the Mac App Store. It recognizes your speech on the Mac and follows your words, keeps your place when you skip or repeat a line, and can record your camera or screen while you read.
Tellie
Your words, and your points
Tellie follows your words too, in 40+ languages, all on your Mac. It also knows the points you marked: each one checks off the moment you make it, even in your own words, and a heads-up comes while there’s still time to cover the rest. Take Coach reviews the take.
Side by side
Tellie vs. NotchPrompter, feature by feature
Both are native Mac notch teleprompters that hide on screen share.
| Feature | Tellie | NotchPrompter |
|---|---|---|
| Follows your voice | Word-level, 40+ languages | Word-level |
| Lives in the MacBook notch | Yes | Yes |
| Invisible on screen share | Yes | Yes |
| Checks off your key points | Yes: Stagehand + Take Coach | No |
| Records your take | No, use any recorder | Yes: camera, screen or both |
| Multiple monitors | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes, MIT |
| Says your next line in your ear | Yes: Nudge (Pro), only in Tellie | No |
| Price | Free tier · Pro $29 once | Free |
The honest summary: both follow your words from the notch. Tellie adds key-point tracking, a heads-up in time and Take Coach, and only Tellie can say your next line in your ear; NotchPrompter is the strongest free, open-source option, with recording built in.
Checked against NotchPrompter’s own site and code on September 30, 2026. Check the latest before you buy, or visit NotchPrompter and judge for yourself.
Stagehand PRO
Tellie makes sure you say the thing you came to say
NotchPrompter follows your words and hides on a call, and for free that is genuinely a lot. Tellie also notices what you meant: mark your must-cover points, and Stagehand ticks each one off as you make it, in any words, with a gentle nudge while there's still time to cover everything. Then Take Coach scores the take and points to the one fix worth making. A prompter that shows your notes, and one that makes sure you land them.
Honest advice
When NotchPrompter is the better pick
NotchPrompter is a genuinely good app, and $0 plus public source code is real value.
Pick NotchPrompter if
- You want a free, open-source notch prompter that follows your words, and you’d like to read the code.
- You want recording built in: your camera, your screen or both.
- You like its multi-monitor layout and flexible positioning.
- You don’t need key-point tracking or coaching.
Pick Tellie if
- You want the points you marked checked off as you make them, even said your own way.
- You want a heads-up in time when a must-cover point is still ahead.
- You want a calm, simple prompter: one row of controls, nothing to set up, no account.
- You want a free tier too, with Voice Follow and Stagehand as a one-time $29 Pro.
“Tellie truly is a magnificent app.”
Tellie vs. NotchPrompter: common questions
More in Help, or email Steve at steve@skytech.io. He answers every message himself.
Is Tellie or NotchPrompter better?
Neither is better for everyone. Tellie is the pick if you want a prompter that keeps track of your key points and gives you a heads-up in time, at a one-time $29 Pro. NotchPrompter is the pick if you want a free, open-source prompter with recording built in and don’t need key-point coaching. Both follow the words you say and hide on screen share.
What is the difference between Tellie and NotchPrompter?
Both follow the words you actually say. The difference is what else they listen for. Tellie checks off the points you marked as you make them, even in your own words, gives you a heads-up in time if one is still ahead, and Take Coach reviews the take. NotchPrompter is free and open source and can record your camera or screen. Tellie’s Voice Follow and Stagehand are a one-time $29 Pro. And only Tellie has Nudge: lose your place and it says your next line in your ear, through AirPods or any headphones (Pro, Beta).
Is there a free alternative to Tellie?
Yes. NotchPrompter is free and open source (MIT), on GitHub and the Mac App Store, and it is the strongest free notch prompter in the category. Tellie also has a free tier that is a complete teleprompter; Voice Follow, Stagehand, and Companion are the Pro upgrade, a one-time $29, with 10 days of Pro included and no card.
Is Tellie open-source like NotchPrompter?
No. NotchPrompter is open source under the MIT license; Tellie is not. Both run on multiple monitors and hide on screen share, and Tellie’s teleprompter is free to download.
Tellie, head to head
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Free to start, word-level when you want it
Download Tellie free and read a take. Word-level Voice Follow and Stagehand are the Pro upgrade, switched on for 10 days with no card, so you can feel the difference before you decide.