AgentNotch vs Claude Code notifications
Claude Code can ping you with a hook or a terminal bell when it's done. AgentNotch shows live status across every session.
Claude Code can already ping you when it needs you. Notification hooks and a terminal bell alert you when a session finishes or pauses for input. Set the hook once and every run in that session fires it. Keep one session open and that's a clean, free way to stop staring at the terminal.
The limit is scope. A hook lives inside one session and fires on one event. It tells you something happened, not the running state, and it knows nothing about your other sessions. Open two windows, plus a Cursor or Codex run, and the pings arrive with no way to tell which sent which, or which is stuck.
One board instead of scattered pings
AgentNotch watches every session at once and lifts their status to the menu bar. It marks the single session that needs you and opens it on a click. It sits above the hook: the hook says one session changed, AgentNotch shows them all and points at the one to open next. Keep it firing if it works for you.
Side by side
| Claude Code notifications | AgentNotch | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Fires a notification hook or terminal bell when a session finishes or needs input. | Watches every session and keeps their live status in the menu bar as they run. |
| Where it lives | Inside one Claude Code session, tied to that terminal. | In the notch and menu bar, visible while you work in any other app. |
| Covers more than one session? | Each session pings on its own. Nothing ties them together. | Yes. One place shows every session and marks the one that needs you. |
| Shows context and plan usage? | No. The hook fires an event; it doesn't carry a live gauge. | Yes. A context gauge and plan usage, per session, at a glance. |
| Works with Cursor and Codex too? | No. The hook is Claude Code's own. | Yes. It reads Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex side by side. |
| Price | Built in and free. | One-time $9.99. 14-day free trial, no card. |
Questions
- Can Claude Code notify me when it's done?
- Yes. Claude Code supports notification hooks and a terminal bell, so it can alert you when a session finishes or pauses for input, and you set the hook once for it to fire on its own.
- Why add AgentNotch if Claude Code already notifies me?
- The built-in hook covers one session at a time and fires per event, not a running status. With several sessions open you still can't tell at a glance which one needs you, which is what AgentNotch keeps live in the menu bar.
- Does AgentNotch replace Claude Code's notification hooks?
- No, the hook is a good per-session signal and AgentNotch is the cross-session view above it. Keep your hook if you like it and let AgentNotch handle the glanceable picture.
- Does AgentNotch need any setup inside Claude Code?
- No, AgentNotch reads your Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex sessions on its own, with no hooks to wire up. It stays 100% local and never reads your code or API keys.
Keep reading
See which agent needs you.
Try AgentNotchfree for 14 days, no card. Watch Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex from your Mac's menu bar.
Updated 2026-07-17