Can AI replace Gojo?

KINDA · weekend project
price $4.99/moyou'd save $59.88/yrbuild time multi-daycategory ⚙️ productivity utilitiesreplaced by 0 peoplebuild unverified

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.

the prompt
Build a small macOS notch app inspired by Gojo. Keep v1 to five tabs:

- Use Swift 6, SwiftUI, and AppKit on macOS 14. Generate an Xcode project and skip
  third-party packages.
- Make it an accessory app with no Dock icon. Find the built-in display notch and
  anchor a borderless floating panel right below it.
- Open the panel after the pointer rests at the notch for 200 ms. Close it on an
  outside click or Escape. Add Music, Windows, Clipboard, Shelf, and Display tabs.
- Clipboard: poll NSPasteboard, save the latest 100 text items in Application Support,
  add search, and copy a picked item back. Skip transient and concealed pasteboard
  types, plus apps listed in a configurable denylist.
- Shelf: accept dropped files, save security-scoped bookmarks, show file icons, and
  support dragging files into another app. Add remove and clear-all actions.
- Music: control Apple Music or Spotify through AppleScript. Show the active app and
  track title, with play/pause, previous, and next controls.
- Windows: list visible app windows through the Accessibility API. Add left half,
  right half, and maximize actions.
- Display: save each screen's gamma table, apply blackbody RGB multipliers with
  CGSetDisplayTransferByTable, and restore the original table on disable or exit.
- Save settings in UserDefaults. Leave out accounts, sync, telemetry, calendar,
  camera, dictation, battery widgets, and automatic updates.
- On first launch, walk through the permissions. Give every tab a useful empty state.
- Test clipboard deduplication, shelf persistence, and snap-frame math.
- Document setup, privacy, Accessibility and Automation permissions, and the macOS
  APIs most likely to change.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter) or copy it raw

why people still pay

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

what you lose

xsigned and notarized builds with automatic updates

xsmooth notch behavior across multiple displays

xon-device dictation and its safety checks

xbuilt-in calendar, reminders, webcam, and battery tools

xfixes when a macOS update breaks something

prior art · use these instead of building, if you'd ratherGojo sourceThe full GPL-3.0 codebase for the native app
share on X ↗"I just replaced Gojo ($4.99/mo) with one prompt"
questions
Can AI replace Gojo?

Kinda. The core of Gojo is buildable in a weekend with the prompt on this page, but there are real gaps: signed and notarized builds with automatic updates, smooth notch behavior across multiple displays. Read the honest list above before committing.

How much does Gojo cost?

Gojo costs about $4.99/month (Monthly, checked 2026-07-30), which is $59.88 per year.

What do I lose by replacing Gojo?

Honestly: 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. If any of those are load-bearing for you, keep paying.

Is there an open-source alternative to Gojo?

Yes — Gojo source (The full GPL-3.0 codebase for the native app). Using prior art is also a valid exit; the prompt is for when you want it exactly your way.