ntfy

Key features

• Publish with a plain HTTP PUT or POST Send a notification with curl or any HTTP client by PUTting or POSTing a body to ntfy.sh/mytopic, with JSON bodies, headers, priorities, tags, and emoji supported on the publish API.[1][2]

• Topics created on the fly, reservable on paid tiers Publishing or subscribing to a new topic name creates it instantly with no registration step; on the hosted service, free-tier topics are effectively password-protected by obscurity, while paid Pro tiers let you reserve topic names.[1][2]

• Open-source Android, iOS, web, and CLI apps Subscribe from the Android app (Google Play and F-Droid), the iOS app, the web app, or the command-line client, all backed by the public source repository rather than closed clients.[1][2]

• File attachments to phone or desktop Attach images, video, and other files to a message so items like surveillance-camera snapshots land on your devices instantly, with larger attachment allowances on the paid hosted tiers.[1][2]

• Priorities, action buttons, tags, and emoji Set per-message priority with distinct sounds and vibration patterns, add action buttons that react from the notification, and classify messages with tags and emoji.[1]

• Single static Go binary or Docker self-host Run the server as one statically-linked Go binary with no runtime dependencies, or from the documented Docker image and distro packages, which keeps small-server and homelab operation simple.[1][2]

• Accounts, auth, and access control The documented server supports user accounts, authentication, and access control with private topics, so a self-hosted instance is not limited to the open-topic model of the free hosted tier.[1][2]

• Delayed and scheduled delivery Publish messages with delay and scheduling options through the same HTTP API, so reminders and deferred alerts need no separate job runner.[1][2]

Who will love it

• Homelab and IoT operators pushing status updates: one curl line from any script or sensor posts motion alerts, download completions, or login warnings straight to a phone.[1][2]

• Developers wiring CI and monitoring webhooks: build jobs and uptime checks POST to a topic instead of maintaining a push backend, with self-hosting keeping the path under operator control.[1][2]

• Privacy-minded teams avoiding big-platform push dependency: the open-source server and clients plus F-Droid distribution fit operators who want to see and host the whole path.[1][2]

Who should avoid it

• Teams needing orchestrated multi-channel messaging: ntfy delivers push to its own apps, not templated email, SMS, and in-app digests with workflow orchestration, so compare Novu for that scope.[1][2]

• Organizations requiring evidenced SSO, audit, or compliance posture: no SSO or identity-provider support was documented in the inspected sources, so regulated buyers must verify before committing.[1]

• Buyers wanting white-glove onboarding and guaranteed support: the path is self-serve docs plus community, with priority support tied to the paid hosted tiers rather than a dedicated success team.[1]

Alternatives and compatibility