Comparison

PushTower vs Gotify

Gotify is a minimal self-hosted message server for Android and web. PushTower brings a native iPhone app, Live Activities, and end-to-end encryption Gotify can’t offer.

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Choose PushTower if…

You’re on iPhone and want a real native app plus Live Activities.
You want end-to-end encryption, scheduling, quiet hours, and custom sounds.
You’d rather use a hosted service than run and maintain a server.

Choose Gotify if…

You want a 100% free, minimal, self-hosted server and live on Android or web.
You like a single-binary deploy with plugins and a websocket stream.
You don’t need iOS Live Activities or end-to-end encryption.

Feature by feature

PushTower vs Gotify, line by line

Feature	PushTower	Gotify
iOS Live Activities & Dynamic Island
Native iOS app
Android app
Simple HTTP API (no SDK)
End-to-end encryption
Self-hostable
Hosted option (no server to run)
Open source	MIT	MIT
Custom notification sounds	30+ built-in
Scheduling & quiet hours
Pricing	Free + from $1.99/mo	Free (self-host)

Comparison reflects each product’s public positioning and may change as the tools evolve. Spotted something out of date? Let us know on GitHub.

What is Gotify?

Gotify is a lightweight, MIT-licensed, self-hosted notification server: a single Go binary with a REST API, a websocket stream, plugins, and an Android client. For a free, minimal, fully self-hosted setup it’s hard to beat.

Its biggest gap for iPhone users is that there’s no official iOS app — you’re on Android or the web. There are no iOS Live Activities, no end-to-end encryption, and no hosted option if you’d rather not run a server.

Where PushTower pulls ahead

Native iOS + Live Activities

A real iPhone app with lock-screen and Dynamic Island updates. Gotify has no official iOS app.

End-to-end encryption

Per-device encryption so content stays private. Gotify stores messages in the clear on your server.

Hosted or self-hosted

Run it yourself under MIT, or use the hosted service. Gotify is self-host only.

FAQ

PushTower vs Gotify — common questions

Does Gotify have an iOS app?

There is no official Gotify iOS app — it ships an Android app and a web UI. PushTower is built iOS-first with a native iPhone app and Live Activities.

Is PushTower self-hostable like Gotify?

Yes. PushTower is MIT-licensed and self-hostable with Docker, just like Gotify, and it also offers a hosted option if you’d rather not run a server.

Can Gotify do Live Activities or E2E encryption?

No. Gotify delivers plain messages stored on your server. PushTower adds iOS Live Activities and per-device end-to-end encryption.

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