Nibbii vs Mac Pet: two notch pets for Mac
Both are pixel pets that sit up by the MacBook notch. Mac Pet's page shows a Buy Now price of $9.99, a Pomodoro timer and an activity graph. Nibbii keeps its base app free, puts one pet in the notch, and puts the rest behind Pro. Which one's worth it depends on what you want from the thing sitting up there.
Side by side
Facts about Mac Pet come from mac-pet.com, as of October 2026. Facts about Nibbii come from this site.
| Feature | Mac Pet | Nibbii |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A pixel pet app. | A pixel pet that lives in your MacBook notch. |
| Where it sits | Menu bar or notch, with a MacBook notch mode. | Lives in the MacBook notch. On a Mac with no notch, it draws its own perch at the top of the screen. Roaming the desktop is Pro. |
| macOS | macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and newer. | Requires macOS 15+. |
| Pets | Several pets to choose from, cats to dogs, each with its own animations. Its page gives no count. | 11 pets. Doggo is the free starter. Pro lets you collect the rest as you play. |
| While you work | Active while you work, sleeps on a break. | Reacts to music playing on your Mac. |
| Timer | A built-in Pomodoro timer with custom durations. | Focus Buddy and focus sprints (Pro). |
| Tracking | Tracks daily activity and shows 5 weeks of history as a contribution graph. | Not stated on this site. |
| Price | $9.99 (Buy Now on its page). | The base app is free to keep. Lifetime Pro is $9.99 once. Monthly is $3.99/month. |
Where the pet sits
Mac Pet's page says it lives in the menu bar or the notch, and describes a MacBook notch mode.
Nibbii lives in the notch too. A Mac without one gets a perch it draws itself at the top of the screen. Roaming the desktop is a Pro feature.
How many pets
Mac Pet's page says you choose from different pets, from cats to dogs, each with its own animations.
Nibbii has 11. Doggo is the starter and it's free. The rest you collect as you play, and collecting them takes Pro.
The timer, and what else it does
Both ship a timer. Mac Pet's page lists a built-in Pomodoro timer with custom durations. Nibbii's is Focus Buddy and focus sprints, and both are Pro.
Then they diverge. Mac Pet's page says the pet is active while you work and sleeps when you take a break. Mac Pet's page says it tracks your daily activity and shows 5 weeks of history as a contribution graph.
Nibbii reacts to music playing on your Mac. It grows up, too. Free pets grow through Level 10, and later growth stages are Pro. You can talk to it with AI chat, an optional Pro feature, and with AI chat it remembers what you tell it.
What each one costs
Mac Pet's page shows a Buy Now price of $9.99. Nibbii splits its price. The base app is free to keep: one starter pet (Doggo), two worlds, core care and play, and growth through Level 10. Pro lets you collect all 11 pets and 22 worlds as you play. Lifetime Pro is $9.99 once and includes 5,000 bonus Sparks. Monthly is $3.99/month, a separate optional subscription that includes Pro plus 30,000 AI Sparks every month. The first Pro payment has a 14-day refund promise.
Questions people ask
Is Mac Pet free?
Mac Pet's page shows a Buy Now price of $9.99. Nibbii's base app is free to keep, with one starter pet (Doggo), two worlds and growth through Level 10. Lifetime Pro is $9.99 once.
How many pets does Mac Pet have?
Mac Pet's page doesn't give a number. It says you pick from different pets, cats to dogs, and each one has its own animations. Nibbii has 11 pets. Doggo is the free starter, and Pro lets you collect the rest as you play.
Does Mac Pet work on an older Mac?
Mac Pet's page lists macOS 10.15 (Catalina) and newer. Nibbii requires macOS 15+. If your Mac is a few years old, that gap decides it before anything else does.
Sources
- Facts about Mac Pet come from mac-pet.com, as of October 2026. The price line on this page was last read on its page in October 2026.
- Facts about Nibbii come from this site: the pricing page, the download page and the MacBook notch pet guide.
Other comparisons: Nibbii vs Dockling and Nibbii vs Pets Therapy. See all guides.
Try Nibbii on your Mac
Doggo is the free starter. Nibbii is a Mac app and requires macOS 15+.