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.
| Feature | SideNotes | Flyout |
|---|---|---|
| Opening it | Screen edge, menu bar, or a hotkey | Screen edge or hotkey — the same idea |
| 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 | Five: English, Turkish, Spanish, French, Italian |
| Price | $19.99 once, on five Macs — the iPhone app is a separate purchase | $18 once, on five Macs |
When SideNotes is the better fit
SideNotes has an iPhone and iPad app today; Flyout for iPhone is still in development and not on the App Store — if you want the same notes in your pocket now, 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.
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 These apps ship often — if you spot something out of date, tell us and we will fix it.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.