ntfy
Open-source HTTP-based pub-sub service for sending push notifications to phones and desktops.
HN commenters use it to push notifications from self-hosted servers and scripts to their phones123, and to send commands to Android devices through Tasker.45 The most common complaints are Android battery drain and unreliable iOS and web clients67, though one Android user reports instant delivery with under 1% battery use.8
Why people recommend it
Server-to-phone alerts · 3
Commenters use it to get phone notifications from home servers, scripts and DIY devices.
“ntfy to get notifications from my home stuff”
“notify me on my Android phone through a self-hosted https://ntfy.sh server”
Show 1 more
“It also posts notifications (to ntfy) after 30s and N minutes.”
Device automation · 2
Paired with Tasker or `ntfy sub`, it relays commands and URLs between devices.
“I use ntfy to send commands from within scripts to my android devices.”
Self-hosted · 2
It can run on your own infrastructure with no third parties involved.
“ntfy can help you manage notifications across devices on your own infrastructure, no 3rd parties.”
“notify me on my Android phone through a self-hosted https://ntfy.sh server”
Instant delivery · 1
One user reports consistently instant delivery over a websocket with negligible battery use.
“Honestly it's a good solution that works well with few downsides”
Low bandwidth · 1
One user says notifications work well even on very low-bandwidth connections.
“some custom skills to get notifications through nfty.sh”
Caveats and dissent
Battery drain · 2
One user says the Android app drained their battery quickly, though another disputes this.
“their Android app used to drain my battery fast”
“Honestly it's a good solution that works well with few downsides”
iOS and PWA · 1
The iOS client had trouble showing images and the PWA needed frequent re-logins.
“The iOS client had issue showing images”
Privacy · 1
A privacy-focused self-hoster says direct delivery from the notification service can expose your fingerprint.
“ntfy was not good enough for me”
Pushover switchers · 2
Two commenters left for Pushover after reliability and battery problems.
“The iOS client had issue showing images”
“their Android app used to drain my battery fast”
Often compared with
Who recommends it in their own words
From the makers not counted in the ranking
“Trying to make push notifications easy as pie.”
Threads where it came up
- Ntfy – open-source Push to Mobile 4 mentions
- Ask HN: What do you run on a $5 VPS that's worth keeping online 24/7? 1 mention
- GPT 6.1 Sol: Near-Astra intelligence for a fifth of the price 1 mention
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Camera test 1 mention
- Telling a Computer to Do Things 1 mention
- The Age of Personalized Hardware Is Coming 1 mention
Also written as Ntfy. Data: ntfy.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 13
“Ntfy: for UnifiedPush”
“some custom skills to get notifications through nfty.sh”
“ntfy to get notifications from my home stuff”
“I use ntfy to send commands from within scripts to my android devices.”
“The iOS client had issue showing images”
“their Android app used to drain my battery fast”
“Love this service!”
“ntfy was not good enough for me”
“It also posts notifications (to ntfy) after 30s and N minutes.”
“notify me on my Android phone through a self-hosted https://ntfy.sh server”
“(ntfy refers to these as topics)”
“Honestly it's a good solution that works well with few downsides”
“ntfy can help you manage notifications across devices on your own infrastructure, no 3rd parties.”