Mac apps
Sticky notes for Mac: the best apps
The Mac already comes with sticky notes. The app is called Stickies, it is in your Applications folder, and a note you leave on the desktop is still there after a restart. It does not sync and has no folders or tags — which is why the other five apps on this page exist.
Side by side
| App | What it is | How it opens | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stickies | The one already on your Mac | Launchpad or Spotlight — the windows stay where you put them | Free with macOS |
| Antnotes | Floating sticky windows with a free tier | Global hotkey, or right-click services | Free (Simple Antnotes); paid version for the extras · macOS 10.10+ |
| Noticky | Sticky windows that stay above fullscreen apps | ⌘⇧N, or the menu bar | $6.99 once · macOS 15+ |
| Flyout | A notes panel on the screen edge rather than sticky windows | Screen edge or a hotkey | $18 once, five devices across Mac + iPhone · macOS 14+ / iOS 18+ |
| Tot | Seven colour-coded dots, in the menu bar | Menu bar, or a hotkey you record yourself | Free to download; $19.99 in-app unlock per platform |
| SideNotes | A notes panel on the right edge, with folders and colours | Screen edge, menu bar, or a hotkey | $19.99 once, five Macs · macOS 13+ |
Every claim about another app on this page comes from that app’s own documentation or App Store listing, checked in August 2026. Prices are what the developer lists; App Store prices vary by region. These apps ship often — if something here has gone out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
A sticky note is doing one of two jobs, and the apps split along that line. Either you want the note visible on the Mac desktop while you work — a number to read back, a name you will forget — or you want somewhere to put a thought in one second and come back to it later.
For the first you want windows that float. For the second, something you can reach and dismiss without moving anything. Decide which job you are shopping for first; the apps below are not really competing with each other.
StickiesFree with macOS
The one already on your Mac
Apple has shipped Stickies for decades: a note stays on the desktop, and it is still there after a restart. There is no sync, no search across notes and no organisation beyond moving windows around. If you have never tried it, do that first — it is free, and for a phone number you need for ten minutes it is the correct answer.
Pros
- Free, already on your Mac, nothing to set up
- A note survives a restart
Cons
- No sync across Macs
- No search across notes, and no organisation beyond moving windows
AntnotesFree (Simple Antnotes); paid version for the extras · macOS 10.10+
Floating sticky windows with a free tier
Antnotes is the closest thing to Stickies with the rough edges filed off: notes are separate floating windows you can resize, recolour, make transparent, pin on top, and roll up into a thin strip when they are in the way. Rich text, images and links go in, there is search, and closed notes go to an archive instead of disappearing. The free build covers the basics; app attachment, colour favourites and font presets are in the paid one. It runs on very old macOS.
Pros
- Resize, recolour, pin on top, or roll notes into a thin strip
- Closed notes go to an archive instead of disappearing
- A genuinely free tier, not only a trial
Cons
- Attachments, colour favourites and font presets are in the paid tier only
Noticky$6.99 once · macOS 15+
Sticky windows that stay above fullscreen apps
The modern take on the floating note, and the one to look at if your problem is fullscreen: it documents notes that stay visible above fullscreen apps, which is where Stickies gives up. Markdown with live rendering, iCloud sync, colour-coded tags, export to PDF, Markdown or plain text, Touch ID lock on a note, and hiding notes from screen sharing and recordings. It needs macOS 15.
Pros
- Stays visible above fullscreen apps, where Stickies gives up
- Touch ID lock and hiding notes from screen sharing
Cons
- Needs macOS 15, the newest requirement on this page
Flyout$18 once, five devices across Mac + iPhone · macOS 14+ / iOS 18+Our app
A notes panel on the screen edge rather than sticky windows
Flyout is our app, and it uses one screen-edge panel rather than separate sticky windows. Pin the panel to keep a note visible, or let it tuck away when you move off it. Give notes one of 38 colours, set a custom colour, and choose the app theme separately. A shopping list can use simple checkboxes; a longer project can use tasks with custom statuses, images and line reminders. The license includes Mac and iPhone, with optional sync through your own iCloud account. Notes are stored locally and can be exported as Markdown files.
Pros
- 38 note colours plus custom colours; 15 app themes
- Checkboxes and custom task statuses in the same editor
- Pin the panel; continue on iPhone with optional iCloud sync
Cons
- One panel at the screen edge, rather than several notes placed around the desktop
For macOS 14 Sonoma and later. iPhone app included. No account, no subscription.
TotFree to download; $19.99 in-app unlock per platform
Seven colour-coded dots, in the menu bar
Not a sticky note app at all, but it comes up in this search often enough to answer here. Tot gives you exactly seven notes — Iconfactory has said the limit is the feature — with iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watch, Shortcuts actions, and a switch between plain and rich text. If seven is enough, it is one of the most pleasant text apps on the Mac. If you have ever wanted an eighth, Tot is not your app.
Pros
- iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone, iPad and Watch
- One of the fastest, lightest text apps on the Mac
Cons
- A hard seven-note limit — there is no eighth dot
SideNotes$19.99 once, five Macs · macOS 13+
A notes panel on the right edge, with folders and colours
Like Flyout, SideNotes is a panel rather than sticky windows, and it is the more established of the two. Folders, colours, note reordering, Markdown, search, snippets, an AppleScript API, Shortcuts support, automatic backups, iCloud sync, nine languages, and a separate iPhone app. Its documentation does not mention syntax-highlighted code blocks, reminders, tables or tags.
Pros
- Folders, colours and note reordering
- An AppleScript API and Shortcuts support
- A separate iPhone app
Cons
- No documented code blocks, reminders, tables or tags
Which one fits
You want a note sitting on the Mac desktop all day
Stickies if it is temporary and you want it free, Antnotes if you want it to survive and be organised, Noticky if you work in fullscreen.
You want the same notes on a second Mac or a MacBook
Stickies and Antnotes do not document sync. Noticky, SideNotes and Flyout all sync over your own iCloud account.
You want to protect a private note
Flyout can encrypt individual notes and unlock them with a password or Touch ID. Noticky documents note locking and hiding notes during screen sharing; those are different features, so check which one you need.
You want notes out of the way until you reach for them
Flyout or SideNotes. Both are panels on the edge rather than windows on the desktop.
You want it free and you want it now
Stickies is already installed and Antnotes has a free build. Try both before spending anything.
Questions people ask
- Does Mac have sticky notes?
- Yes — it is called Stickies, and it comes preinstalled in your Applications folder. Open it from Spotlight or Launchpad; a note stays on the desktop and survives a restart, but there is no sync and no search across notes.
- How do I put a sticky note on my desktop on Mac?
- Open Stickies from Spotlight or Launchpad, then choose File → New Note. It sits on your desktop until you close it; there is no cloud sync, so it stays on that one Mac.
- What is a good Mac Stickies alternative?
- It depends what Stickies is missing for you. For organising floating notes, Antnotes; for floating notes with iCloud sync, Noticky. For a real text editor that slides out of the way instead of sitting on the desktop, Flyout or SideNotes.
- Is there a sticky-note widget for Mac?
- macOS does not have a Notes widget that behaves like a desktop sticky note. The closest equivalents are the floating-window apps on this page — Stickies, Antnotes and Noticky all put a note-shaped window on your desktop instead.
- Can sticky notes sync between two Macs?
- Stickies and Antnotes do not document sync. Noticky, SideNotes and Flyout all sync over your own iCloud account.
Try Flyout
Free for 7 days, no account. It is $18 once and works on five devices across Mac and iPhone — macOS 14 or later, iOS 18 or later.
For macOS 14 Sonoma and later. iPhone app included. No account, no subscription.
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