Compared, October 2026
Desktop pets for Mac compared
A desktop pet is a little animated character that lives on your screen while you work. Here are the Mac desktop pets people search for most, side by side, so you can pick the one that suits you. We make DeskyPaw, so we have tried to be fair: each of these is good at something.
At a glance
| App | Style | Pets | Extras | Price | Where to get it | Mac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeskyPaw | 3D, fully animated | 16 dogs, cats and a red panda | Focus timer, break reminders (eyes, water, stretch), cleans the screen | Free 7-day trial, then $8.99 one-time | deskypaw.app | macOS 13+, Apple silicon |
| Pets Therapy | 2D pixel art | 100+ (37 free) | Pets walk on window edges, toys, feeding, custom pets | Free; Lifetime $12.99 or $5.99 a year | Mac App Store | macOS 12+ |
| NotiSprite | 2D hand-drawn sprites | 22 (5 free) | Reminders, focus timer, calendar and weather alerts, CPU and battery | Free; extra sprites as in-app purchases | Mac App Store | Mac, iPhone and iPad |
| Notchy | 2D pixel pet | 23 pixel pets | Reacts to CPU heat, battery, music and video | Free | notchy.dev | macOS 13+ |
| Desktop Goose | 2D | 1 goose | A prank: steals your cursor, tracks mud, drags in memes | Pay what you want | itch.io | macOS 10.10+ (Mac build older than Windows) |
| Shimeji (Shijima) | 2D sprites | Any Shimeji character | Characters climb and throw your windows; huge fan-made library | Free, open source | itch.io | Apple silicon; beta, needs Accessibility permission |
From each app's own website or App Store listing in October 2026. Prices and features change, so check before you buy. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Which one should you pick?
- You want a realistic 3D dog or cat, and a focus timer: DeskyPaw. It is the only one here with fully animated 3D pets, and its focus timer makes the pet nap while you work and call you for a break.
- You want lots of pets for free: Pets Therapy. Its free tier has dozens of pixel-art pets, and you can make your own.
- You mostly want reminders and notifications: NotiSprite. Its sprites bring calendar, weather and break reminders.
- You want a pet that shows what your Mac is doing: Notchy reacts to CPU heat and battery. RunCat, a cat in the menu bar that runs faster as your CPU works harder, is another option.
- You want to prank a friend: Desktop Goose. It is chaos on purpose, not a companion.
- You love anime characters and tinkering: Shimeji, via Shijima on Mac. Free and endlessly customisable, with some setup.
Why DeskyPaw is different
Most desktop pets are 2D pixel art. DeskyPaw's pets are fully animated 3D models with fur, a real walk cycle and their own tricks: they trot along the bottom of your screen, hop, wag, bark or meow, and now and then clean your screen. The focus timer is built around the pet: it naps while you work and comes over when it is time for a break.
It is a one-time purchase with no subscription, no account and no tracking. Meet all sixteen desktop pets.
Questions
What is the best desktop pet for Mac?
It depends on what you want. For a realistic 3D dog or cat with a focus timer, DeskyPaw. For many free pixel-art pets, Pets Therapy. For reminders, NotiSprite. For a prank, Desktop Goose.
Is there a free desktop pet for Mac?
Yes. Notchy and Shimeji (Shijima) are free, Pets Therapy and NotiSprite have free tiers, and DeskyPaw has a free 7-day trial with every pet.
Does Shimeji work on a Mac?
Yes, through Shijima, a free open-source app that runs Shimeji characters on Apple silicon Macs. It is still a beta and needs the Accessibility permission so characters can walk on your windows.
Is there a 3D desktop pet for Mac?
Yes. DeskyPaw's sixteen pets are fully animated 3D models (dogs, cats and a red panda). Most other Mac desktop pets use 2D pixel art or sprites.
Do desktop pets slow down a Mac?
A well-made one uses little power. DeskyPaw draws one small 3D model in a transparent window and pauses when it is hidden, and clicks pass through the window so it never gets in your way.