Comparison
Screen-edge notes for macOS, with a real editor behind them
Looking for a SideNotes alternative — or any Mac app that slides notes out from the edge of your screen? Flyout is a native macOS menu-bar app that flies a full rich-text editor out over your work, then slides it away when you step back. What separates it from the alternatives is what a single note can hold: task lists, images, reminders, real code blocks and Markdown, one gesture from any app.
Why people switch to Flyout
A real editor, not sticky notes
Slash commands, headings, syntax-highlighted code blocks, task lists, tables, inline images, emoji, colour and highlight — your notes keep the structure your work has.
Tags that cut across folders
Tag a note as you write it, with autocomplete against the tags you already use. Filter the library by one tag or several at once, give each tag a colour, and the list flattens across every folder.
Reminders that live inside the note
Set a reminder on a whole note or on the exact line you selected. Native macOS notifications, repeat daily or weekly, snooze from the notification — no account.
Instant from the screen edge
Nudge the edge or press ⌥⌘N and the panel is over your work before you finish the thought. No window management, no app switch.
Your notes stay yours
Every note is plain Markdown on disk, and you can export a note, a folder or the whole library as PDF, Markdown or plain text. iCloud sync runs through your own account, nothing passes through our servers, and it all works offline.
A note only you can read
Lock a note behind a password and its text, tags and attachments are encrypted — the plain text is deleted from disk, not just hidden from the list. Touch ID reopens it in a second, and locked notes stay out of exports, the widget and the clipboard.
One-time price, not a subscription
Buy a lifetime license and use it on five Macs. Every future update to the Mac app is included — there is nothing to renew.
Flyout next to the alternatives
You almost certainly already have somewhere to put a note. Here is what each of the usual answers does well, and where it stops — with a full page for each. Every claim comes from that app’s own documentation, not from us.
| App | What it is | Where it stops | Full comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| SideNotes | The other screen-edge notes panel for macOS | No documented code highlighting, reminders, tables or tags | Full comparison → |
| Raycast Notes | A scratchpad inside the Raycast launcher | No images, no reminders, one note at a time | Full comparison → |
| Apple Quick Note | Free, built into macOS, opens from the bottom-right corner | No code blocks, not a Markdown editor, no reminders on a note | Full comparison → |
| Tot | Seven colour-coded dots, in the menu bar | A hard seven-note limit, no folders, no images | Full comparison → |
| Unclutter | A clipboard, a file shelf and notes, dropped down from the top edge | Notes are plain text; no sync engine of its own | Full comparison → |
| Antinote | A $5 keyboard-driven scratchpad, with a calculator built in | Deliberately temporary — no folders, notes auto-delete | Full comparison → |
| Drafts | Plain-text capture, with an automation engine behind it | Plain text only, no images, and Pro is a subscription | Full comparison → |
Checked against each app’s own documentation in July and August 2026. These apps ship often — if you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Is Flyout right for you?
If you keep notes beside your work — a task list, a screenshot, a snippet, a deadline — Flyout keeps up. Try it free for 7 days; no account, everything stays on your Mac.