An app from Skytech that repurposes the Mac’s notch area as a teleprompter. Its central feature is Voice Follow, which uses on-device speech recognition to detect what the speaker is actually saying and scroll the script automatically. It is built for anyone who talks while reading from a script — video creators, speakers, sales reps, teachers. On top of that, it publishes a URL scheme, a CLI, and an MCP server free of charge, so it also works as a developer notification hub that pushes status to the notch from your terminal, from CI, or from an AI agent. It is a macOS 14+ Apple Silicon-only app, with no support for Windows, Linux, or Intel Macs.
Key Features
- Voice Follow: On-device speech recognition detects the words you actually speak and auto-scrolls the script across 40+ languages and regional variants (Pro feature)
- Hidden from Zoom and screen recordings: By default it does not show up in video conferencing apps or screen recordings. An opt-in mode makes it recordable
- Multiple formats: Loads scripts in Markdown, plain text, RTF, Word (.docx), and PDF
- Stagehand: Checks whether you have covered the key parts of your script and gives you a discreet heads-up before you run out of time. After a take, it shows you what you actually covered (Pro)
- Developer notification hub (tellie:// / CLI / MCP): A public URL scheme, a CLI (
@tellie/cli), and an MCP server (@tellie/mcp) — all free — let you push status to the notch from your terminal, scripts, CI, or AI agents - Presenter Magic / Web Companion: Beta features that mirror Keynote speaker notes to the notch, or follow a take on a separate device such as a phone or tablet (Pro)
Pricing
Two tiers, Free and Pro. Pro is not a subscription — it is a one-time purchase with a lifetime license.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Script loading and playback, speed/font size adjustment, mirrored display, hidden from Zoom/screen recordings, plus free developer notification push (URL scheme, CLI, MCP) |
| Pro | $29 (one-time, lifetime license, up to 3 Macs) | Voice Follow (40+ languages), Stagehand, rewinding across multiple takes, playlists, per-script settings memory, resizable prompter, global hotkeys, Presenter Magic, Web Companion (beta), Take Coach (beta), Pulse Log (30-day history) |
Pricing is as of September 2026. Check the official site for current pricing.
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- On-device speech recognition means no audio data leaves your machine
- The free tier gives you a genuinely usable teleprompter plus notch notification push
- The CLI, MCP server, and URL scheme are published free for developers, so it doubles as a notification hub for CI and AI agents
- Pro is a $29 one-time lifetime license — no subscription
⚠️ Cons
- macOS 14+ and Apple Silicon only. Will not run on Windows or Intel Macs
- Most of the headline features, Voice Follow included, are gated behind Pro
- Appears to be run by a solo developer (Steve Chazin / Skytech), with no stated enterprise support structure
- On Macs without a notch (iMac, Mac mini, or when using an external display) it falls back to displaying just below the menu bar
Comparison With Similar Services
| Tellie | Avocado | CueNotch | Notchie | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Skytech | ─ | ─ | ─ |
| Primary use | Notch-based teleprompter + developer notification hub | Notch-based teleprompter | Notch-based teleprompter | Notch-based notifications and general utilities |
| Requirements | macOS 14+ / Apple Silicon only | macOS 26 supported | macOS (Macs with a notch) | macOS (Macs with a notch) |
| Pricing model | Free + Pro one-time $29 | ─ | ─ | ─ |
| Standout | Voice-following scroll, developer integration via CLI/MCP/URL scheme | Per-take elapsed time comparison, filler word and pause analysis | Focused purely on teleprompter display | Ships notifications and utilities beyond the teleprompter |
Who It’s For
- Creators and speakers who want to read a script naturally during video shoots or talks without breaking eye contact
- Sales reps who want a talk script in front of them during pitches and demo calls
- Anyone who prioritizes on-device processing and does not want their spoken words sent to an external server
- Developers who want build, CI, or AI agent progress pushed to the notch
- Anyone who prefers buying tools outright over subscribing
Summary
Tellie takes the Mac’s cramped notch area and repurposes it for two jobs: a teleprompter and a developer notification hub. The free tier covers the basics along with notch notification push, but the core features — voice following chief among them — assume Pro (a $29 one-time purchase). Worth knowing before you commit: it is macOS 14+ and Apple Silicon only, so Windows and Intel Macs are out, and it is a solo-developer operation. For Mac users interested in both reading a script while speaking and wiring notifications into a CLI- and MCP-driven development workflow, it is worth a look.