notfs vs Pushover vs ntfy

Pushover is one of the most established push notification services for developers, launched in 2012. It supports both iOS and Android with a one-time $5 license per platform. However, Pushover lacks some modern features that developers need:

• No scheduled delivery — Pushover sends immediately. notfs lets you schedule with delays (5s to 24h) or exact timestamps.
• No webhooks — Pushover doesn't notify your server when a notification is delivered or fails. notfs sends webhook callbacks with HMAC signature verification.
• No API key scoping — Pushover uses a single token per application. notfs API keys have granular permissions (notifications:read, notifications:write, devices:read, devices:write).
• Dated UI — Pushover's app hasn't been significantly updated. notfs has a modern, dark-mode native iOS app with notification creation, history, and device management.

When to choose Pushover: If you need Android support today, or prefer a one-time payment over monthly. Pushover's API is proven and reliable.

When to choose notfs: If you want modern features like scheduling, webhooks, scoped API keys, and a better developer experience. notfs is actively developed and free to start.

ntfy is a popular open-source notification tool that uses a pub/sub model with topics. It's great for simple use cases and privacy-conscious users who want to self-host.

• Auth model — ntfy uses topics as implicit authentication (anyone with the topic URL can send/receive). notfs uses proper user accounts with API keys and JWT tokens.
• Delivery tracking — ntfy has no delivery confirmation. notfs tracks every notification through its lifecycle (scheduled → queued → delivered/failed) and supports webhook callbacks.
• Device management — ntfy doesn't have per-device management. notfs lets you target specific devices and manage them via API.
• Multi-device targeting — With notfs you can send to all devices or target a specific one using deviceToken.

When to choose ntfy: If you want a fully open-source, self-hosted solution with minimal setup. ntfy is great for home automation and simple alerts.

When to choose notfs: If you need proper authentication, delivery tracking, webhooks, and a managed service with analytics. notfs is better for production use cases and team collaboration.