Gojo

Five everyday Mac tools tucked into the MacBook notch

KINDA · partial replacement
price $4.99/mosubscription / year $59.88estimated build time multi-dayreplaced by 0 people

A weekend is enough for the useful part: a notch panel with clipboard history, a file shelf, music controls, window snapping, and screen warmth. Getting it ready for daily use takes longer because macOS permissions, dictation, multiple displays, and tiny UI details add up fast.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • signed and notarized builds with automatic updates
  • smooth notch behavior across multiple displays
  • on-device dictation and its safety checks
  • built-in calendar, reminders, webcam, and battery tools
  • fixes when a macOS update breaks something

Why people still pay

People pay to skip the maintenance. Install Gojo, approve the permissions, and get back to work.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Runtime and tools: Swift, SwiftUI/AppKit and SQLite on macOS, with secrets in Keychain where needed.
  • Before starting: A Mac, the current Xcode toolchain and a documented permission checklist; distribution signing is a separate delivery task.
01
Swift, SwiftUI/AppKit and SQLite on macOS, with secrets in Keychain where needed
02
Data design: Store ClipboardItem, SourceAppExclusion, ShelfItem and DisplayPlacement; the shelf references files instead of deleting/moving originals, and clipboard retention is capped and clearable.
03
Setup: A Mac, the current Xcode toolchain and a documented permission checklist; distribution signing is a separate delivery task
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Pin the working slice and create its example input: Open a menu-bar/notch-adjacent panel with a local clipboard list and temporary file shelf, then optionally add one documented media-control integration. Confirm setup: A Mac, the current Xcode toolchain and a documented permission checklist; distribution signing is a separate delivery task.

2

Phase 2

Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store ClipboardItem, SourceAppExclusion, ShelfItem and DisplayPlacement; the shelf references files instead of deleting/moving originals, and clipboard retention is capped and clearable.

3

Phase 3

Connect the working view to real saved state. Ask for each operating-system permission when its feature is used. Handle denial and revocation without a loop; show permission status and keep local history deletable.

4

Phase 4

Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Ship a normal menu-bar fallback and do not claim encrypted storage from SQLite alone. Window control, gamma changes and universal media controls are deferred until supported APIs/permissions are confirmed.

5

Phase 5

Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Unplug the notched display, revoke file access and copy a concealed item; the panel relocates, stale files show a relink state and concealed content is not stored. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
Build the following focused alternative to Gojo. This is a deliberately limited personal or small-team substitute, not parity with the paid service.

WORKING SLICE
Open a menu-bar/notch-adjacent panel with a local clipboard list and temporary file shelf, then optionally add one documented media-control integration.

SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE
Use Swift, SwiftUI/AppKit and SQLite on macOS, with secrets in Keychain where needed. Prerequisites: A Mac, the current Xcode toolchain and a documented permission checklist; distribution signing is a separate delivery task. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success.

DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS
Store ClipboardItem, SourceAppExclusion, ShelfItem and DisplayPlacement; the shelf references files instead of deleting/moving originals, and clipboard retention is capped and clearable.

IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT
Ask for each operating-system permission when its feature is used. Handle denial and revocation without a loop; show permission status and keep local history deletable. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content.

APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY
Ship a normal menu-bar fallback and do not claim encrypted storage from SQLite alone. Window control, gamma changes and universal media controls are deferred until supported APIs/permissions are confirmed.

ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO
Unplug the notched display, revoke file access and copy a concealed item; the panel relocates, stale files show a relink state and concealed content is not stored. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested.

DELIVERY
Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product.

PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md
Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

Boring NotchMusic, files, calendar, camera, and system HUDs; clipboard and window snapping stay elsewhere.10kaug 2026open source↗NotchyGojo's clipboard, windows, files, media, and another two dozen notch tricks, all free.$0free↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Gojo pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
1 mac$2.99—Use on 1 Mac with all 5 tools and future updates.Monthly subscription; no annual plan.
1 mac lifetime——Use on 1 Mac with all 5 tools and future updates.One-time introductory price $9.99; regular price shown as $14.99.
3 macs$4.99—Use on up to 3 Macs with all 5 tools and future updates.Monthly subscription; no annual plan.
3 macs lifetime——Use on up to 3 Macs with all 5 tools and future updates.One-time introductory price $19.99; regular price shown as $24.99.

free tierno free tier

billingmonthly or lifetime; no annual plan; 3-day fully unlocked trial with no account or card

hidden costsThe lifetime prices are introductory discounts; the site displays regular prices of $14.99 for 1 Mac and $24.99 for 3 Macs.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Gojo

Can you build your own Gojo with AI?

Partly. A weekend is enough for the useful part: a notch panel with clipboard history, a file shelf, music controls, window snapping, and screen warmth. Getting it ready for daily use takes longer because macOS permissions, dictation, multiple displays, and tiny UI details add up fast.

What does the Gojo build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Open a menu-bar/notch-adjacent panel with a local clipboard list and temporary file shelf, then optionally add one documented media-control integration. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: signed and notarized builds with automatic updates; smooth notch behavior across multiple displays; on-device dictation and its safety checks. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Gojo prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Gojo project take?

The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Gojo?

signed and notarized builds with automatic updates; smooth notch behavior across multiple displays; on-device dictation and its safety checks; built-in calendar, reminders, webcam, and battery tools; fixes when a macOS update breaks something. People pay to skip the maintenance. Install Gojo, approve the permissions, and get back to work.

What price is this guide comparing against?

The recorded Monthly plan is $4.99/mo (monthly for up to 3 Macs), checked 2026-07-30. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.

What can I use instead of building Gojo?

Boring Notch: Music, files, calendar, camera, and system HUDs; clipboard and window snapping stay elsewhere. Notchy: Gojo's clipboard, windows, files, media, and another two dozen notch tricks, all free. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

Every week, more subscriptions die.

New verdicts, new prompts, the week's most-doomed apps.
One email. Unsubscribe in one click.

last week:100 Questions · KINDA1of10 · KINDA1Password · KINDA+1090 more

free forever · no scanner spam · the prompt stays on the site, the deaths come to you

$weekly: what got a verdict, what died.