HONEST COMPARISON · CHECKED 2026-10-09

Hangly vs Desk Dangle

The closest free pair in the category. Both hang a swinging charm on Mac and Windows, both are click-through, and both take your own images. Desk Dangle is smaller and can use the notch; Hangly is the bigger library.

About Hangly

Free download • macOS 14+ and Windows 10+ • • Install help

Quick answer

Both are free and hang a charm from the top of your screen on Mac and Windows, and both take your own image. Desk Dangle can hang from the MacBook notch, runs on macOS 11 and later, and is on the Microsoft Store, with a small built-in set. Hangly has 161 charms across 21 collections, nine rope styles and a native Windows ARM64 build.

Key takeaways

Both are free, on Mac and Windows, and take your own image
Desk Dangle can hang from the MacBook notch and runs on macOS 11+
Hangly ships 161 charms across 21 collections; Desk Dangle a handful built in
Desk Dangle is on the Microsoft Store; Hangly has a native Windows ARM64 build

What is Desk Dangle?

Desk Dangle (version 2.0.1) is a free companion that hangs from your screen edge or MacBook notch, swings when flicked, and stays click-through. Built-in charms include an evil eye, nimbu mirchi, superheroes, a villain and an orange cat, and you can load any PNG, JPG or WebP, stored locally. It runs on macOS 11 Big Sur and later as a universal build, and on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) from the Microsoft Store or as a direct download.

Taken from their own site on 2026-10-09. Products change — check theirs before deciding.

How Hangly differs

Hangly is the deeper library: 161 charms across 21 collections, nine rope styles, adjustable size, up to three charms on one rope and multi-monitor placement, with a native ARM64 build for Windows on ARM.

Feature comparison

Hangly compared with Desk Dangle, feature by feature
Feature	Hangly	Desk Dangle
Price	Free	Free
macOS	14+, universal	11+, universal
Windows	10+ x64; 11 on native ARM64	10 and 11, 64-bit; Microsoft Store
Built-in charms	161 across 21 collections	A handful (evil eye, nimbu mirchi, heroes, a cat)
Your own image	Any image	PNG, JPG or WebP
Hangs from the MacBook notch	No	Yes
Rope styles	Nine	Not advertised
Several charms on one rope	Up to three	Not advertised

Performance

Both draw one light, click-through overlay. Desk Dangle describes itself as lightweight; Hangly stops its simulation when the charm is at rest. Neither publishes measurements.

Customisation

Desk Dangle: size, position (left, centre, right) and your own image. Hangly: 161 charms, nine ropes, size, up to three charms on one rope, which display it hangs on, and your own image.

Privacy

Hangly needs no account and never reads your screen, your files or the images you turn into charms. It does register each installation with its developer (a random ID, the nickname you choose, your city worked out from your connection, your versions and when it was used) and sends anonymous usage events and crash reports; the privacy page lists all of it. Desk Dangle needs no account, works offline, stores custom images locally, and publishes its own privacy page.

Platform support

Hangly: macOS 14+; Windows 10 (version 1809)+ on x64 and Windows 11 on native ARM64. Desk Dangle: macOS 11 Big Sur+ (universal); Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

Where each one wins

Choose Desk Dangle if…

Hangs from the MacBook notch
Supports older Macs, back to macOS 11 Big Sur
Available on the Microsoft Store

Choose Hangly if…

161 charms across 21 collections
Nine rope styles and up to three charms on one rope
Native Windows ARM64 build
Multi-monitor placement

Direct answers

Which is better for Mac?

Both are free universal Mac apps. Desk Dangle if you want it on the notch or are on macOS 11 to 13; Hangly if you are on macOS 14 or later and want the larger collection.

Which uses fewer resources?

Both are light overlays with one charm. Neither publishes figures; Hangly idles its physics when the charm is still.

Which has more customisation?

Hangly: 161 charms, nine ropes, several charms on one rope and multi-monitor placement, plus your own image. Desk Dangle offers size, position and your own image.

Which is best for Windows?

Both run on Windows 10 and 11. Desk Dangle is on the Microsoft Store; Hangly has a native ARM64 build for Snapdragon laptops.

Which is best for menu bar customisation?

Hangly runs from the macOS menu bar and the Windows system tray, but it is not a menu bar customisation tool — it hangs a charm below the menu bar rather than changing the bar itself. For rearranging or hiding menu bar items, a dedicated utility such as Bartender or Ice is the right category. Hangly sits alongside those rather than replacing them.

Frequently asked questions

Is Desk Dangle free?

Yes: free, with no subscription, account, ads or hidden charges, per its site (9 October 2026). Hangly is free as well.

Can a charm hang from the MacBook notch?

Desk Dangle can hang from the notch. Hangly hangs from the top of the screen at a point you choose.

Which free charm app has the most charms?

Hangly, with 161 across 21 collections. Desk Dangle has a small built-in set and takes your own images.

Every Hangly charm is listed on the charms page, including the twelve cultural luck and protection charms this category competes on. More questions are answered on the FAQ page, and the guides cover the wider category.

Best for

A MacBook with a notch: Desk Dangle can hang from the notch itself.
An older Mac on macOS 11 to 13: Desk Dangle supports macOS 11 Big Sur; Hangly needs macOS 14.
Someone who wants lots of ready-made charms: Hangly ships 161 across 21 collections.
A Windows-on-ARM laptop: Hangly has a native ARM64 build.

Alternatives

Hangly vs Lucky Dangle The closest comparison in this list. Both hang a charm on a cord from the top of the screen, on Mac and Windows, and both stay out of every click. Hangly's advantages are price and breadth: free, 161 charms across 21 collections, nine rope styles and a native ARM64 build. Lucky Dangle's is its rituals.
Hangly vs Screen Dangle Both free, both Mac and Windows. The difference is philosophy: Screen Dangle presents itself as a studio for building a charm, Hangly as a library you choose from — with your own images as an option rather than the starting point.
Hangly vs DangleJoy Very close in intent: animated charms that hang and sway, with cultural and lucky symbols at the centre of both, and your own images welcome in both. Hangly's edge is being free, with five times the charms and a native Windows ARM64 build. DangleJoy's is reach: Android, the Mac App Store and a site in 12 languages.
Hangly vs Charmly Near-identical in concept — a charm on a cord with real pendulum physics that stays out of your clicks. Hangly's difference is reach: Windows including native ARM64, 21 collections, and your own images as charms.
Hangly vs Shimeji Both let you put your own artwork on screen, and there the similarity ends. Shimeji characters roam, climb windows and throw them about, and the popular version today is a browser extension. Hangly is a native desktop app with a charm that stays where you hang it.
Hangly vs Desktop Goose These are opposites that appeal to the same instinct. Desktop Goose drags mud across your screen and steals your cursor, deliberately. Hangly hangs one charm that cannot interrupt anything. Choose by whether you want to be interfered with.
Hangly vs RunCat Not really competitors. RunCat is a system monitor in a cat costume: the animation speed reports your CPU load. Hangly is decoration with no monitoring function. Running both is sensible and common.
Hangly vs Dockling Dockling is a productivity companion that happens to be charming — Pomodoro, streaks, quick notes, $2.99 once. Hangly is decoration that deliberately adds nothing to your workflow. Choose by whether you want your ornament to also prompt you.
Hangly vs Screen Charms Close in what they do, different in how they charge. Screen Charms gives you one charm free and the rest for $4.99, plus a focus timer. Hangly gives you all 161 charms and custom images free, and runs on Windows too.
Hangly vs Book My Luck The same idea at different prices. Book My Luck is a one-time licence per computer with seasonal collections; Hangly is free with a far larger catalogue.
Hangly vs Drishti Dangle Both are built around Indian charms. Drishti Dangle adds musical wind chimes and animated 3D models for ₹99, but could not be bought on 9 October 2026. Hangly is free and available now.
Hangly vs DeskCharm DeskCharm is a developer's project; Hangly is a finished app. Both are free, and both have open source on GitHub.
Hangly vs OpenPets Different kinds of thing. OpenPets is an animated pet and, now, an assistant; Hangly is an ornament.
Hangly vs Cat Fidget A pet and a charm. Cat Fidget wins on privacy and on things to do; Hangly wins on platforms and on asking nothing of you.
Hangly vs Dockitty Two small delights in different places: the Dock and the top of the screen.
Hangly vs Googly Eyes Both free, both whimsical, in different places.
Hangly vs Oneko Different eras and different platforms: Oneko for X11, Hangly for Mac and Windows.
Every desktop charm app for Mac, compared The whole category in one table, including the ones with no page here.

In short

Two free apps with the same idea. Desk Dangle is the lighter one with a notch trick and an older-Mac reach; Hangly is the deeper one, with a large collection, nine ropes and several charms on one rope. Try both; neither costs anything.