Comparison
Flyout vs SideNotes
This is the comparison we get asked for most. Both apps park a notes panel on the edge of the screen and both get out of the way when you are done, so what separates them is what a single note can hold — and which of us has the thing you were going to use it for. SideNotes is the older app and does several things Flyout does not.
For macOS 14 Sonoma and later. iPhone app included. No account, no subscription.
| Feature | SideNotes | Flyout |
|---|---|---|
| Opening it | Screen edge, menu bar, or a hotkey | Screen edge or hotkey — the same idea |
| Tasks inside notes | Checkboxes | Checkboxes plus six built-in statuses; add your own |
| Themes and note colours | Installable themes; create your own with ThemeEdit | Named themes; 38 note colours and custom colours |
| Code blocks | A code-friendly mode and #rrggbb colour previews; syntax highlighting is not documented | Syntax-highlighted code blocks |
| Reminders | Not documented | On a whole note, or on one selected line |
| Tables | Not documented | Paste one in, or build it with /table |
| Files in a note | File shortcuts — a link to the file where it already lives | The file itself is copied into the note, so it travels with it |
| Tags | Not documented — folders and colours instead | Free-form tags with colours; filter by several at once |
| Locked notes | Not documented | Lock one with a password; text, tags and attachments are encrypted |
| Export | Export as image | PDF, Markdown or plain text — a note, a folder, or the whole library |
| Languages | Nine, including French, German, Japanese and Spanish — no Turkish | Eight: English, Turkish, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese, Simplified Chinese |
| Price | $19.99 once, on five Macs — the iPhone app is a separate purchase | $24 once, on five devices across Mac + iPhone |
When SideNotes is the better fit
SideNotes has an iPhone and iPad app; Flyout for iPhone is iPhone-only for now — if you want the same notes on an iPad too, that decides it on its own. It also runs on macOS 13 where we need 14, ships in nine languages, and has an AppleScript API, Apple Shortcuts support, snippets, a share extension and automatic backups. Flyout is the better fit if a note of yours is going to hold a code block, a table, a tag or a deadline — those are the four things its documentation does not claim.
The original comparison was checked against official documentation in July and August 2026. Task and appearance rows, Flyout’s device support, and Antinote’s details were reviewed on 6 September 2026. Linked sources explain the added rows. If you spot an outdated detail, tell us.
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.