ntfy

ntfy is a lightweight publish/subscribe notification service that lets you send messages to topics via simple HTTP calls and receive them on phones, desktops, or the web. It is designed for automation-friendly alerts from scripts and systems, with optional authentication and multiple delivery integrations.

Key Features

• Publish/subscribe topics with simple HTTP API (POST/PUT) and topic URLs
• Web app and dedicated mobile apps for receiving notifications
• Push notifications to Android (FCM) and iOS (APNs) when configured
• Multiple subscription methods: web UI, mobile, and programmatic streaming (e.g., SSE/WebSockets)
• Authentication and access control options (including users/roles and topic permissions)
• Message options such as titles, priorities, tags, click actions, attachments, and icons (client-dependent)
• Integrations for delivering outbound notifications (e.g., email, chat/webhooks) and acting as a relay/gateway
• Docker-friendly deployment and configuration with support for reverse proxies and TLS

Use Cases

• Monitoring/observability alerts (uptime checks, Prometheus Alertmanager-style notifications)
• CI/CD and cron job outcomes (build failures, backup completion)
• Smart home and automation events (doorbell/motion, device state changes)

Limitations and Considerations

• Some advanced push capabilities (especially iOS/Android background delivery) depend on configuring platform push services (APNs/FCM) and may vary by client/device policies.

ntfy provides a practical “curl-to-phone” workflow while still supporting richer notification features and access controls for team or multi-service use. It fits well as a general-purpose notification backbone for homelabs and production automation where you want a simple, standards-based API and multiple client options.