Sticky notes are very handy nowadays. Got some tasks to check off later in the day? Or a random fact to check upon later? Or even your house’s grocery list? A sticky note is a tool that lets you jot down anything, be it systematically or haphazardly.
The charm of sticking colorful sticky notes is nearing extinction in this world full of gadgets.
Sticky notes appear all the time when you open the desktop so you don’t forget any notes you have made.
Nonetheless, to recreate its feeling, we’re here with the best sticky note apps for your Mac. Stick until the end to know more about them.
Best Sticky Note Apps for Mac
1. Apple Stickies
Mac users might already know this one, as it comes pre-installed. Stickies come with a wide array of valuable features, apart from basic ones like text formatting, bulleted lists, colorful notes, etc. Stickies allow shrinking notes to have a more classified view of your currently open notes to maintain the aesthetics of your workstation.
Furthermore, Stickies supports drag-and-drop functionality, which means you can attach pictures, videos, and even PDFs, just by dragging. There’s support for intelligent links too, which can be helpful to create a calendar event, compose a mail, etc., directly through the app. You can pin notes on top of other windows and change their transparency for better visuals.
Even though it doesn’t allow syncing via iCloud, you can still enjoy writing on your iPad using an Apple Pencil, which would appear on your Mac. There’s a small workaround required for that and some other features, so you’ll have to do your research.
2. Simple Antnotes
Albeit dated in this list, Simple Antnotes is among the best-rated. It comes with a set of nifty features that are pretty customizable as well. Simple Antnotes supports rich text formatting, colorful background, pinned notes, translucent notes, etc. Like Stickies, you can roll the notes into thin stripes to clear space.
One of the best things about Simple Antnotes is that it doesn’t require you to create an account or connect to any cloud account. Everything is stored locally on your Mac and backed up via Time Machine. Pre-defined shortcuts can be set to show, hide notes, and create one from scratch. It, too, supports drag-and-drop functionality.
The notes get archived by default, so you can quickly search them up and re-open them from where you left them. The app is free; however, you must buy its full version to access additional features. Those features include attaching notes to a particular application, setting favorite background colors and fonts for quick selection, etc.
Download: Simple Antnotes (Free)
3. Quick Note
Justifying its name, Quick Note’s best attribute is the quick launch feature, which requires pressing a pre-assigned key or shortcut. You can pin notes, which will appear over other apps, including those in full-screen mode. The transparency level is adjustable, and the notes are collapsible too.
Another magical feature of Quick Note is the Markdown functionality. For instance, you can italicize a text by simply attaching an asterisk before and after it. Using a set of pre-assigned commands, you can quickly create a heading, list, make the text bold, etc. It is very well-designed.
Quick Note is light, colorful, and fresh-looking. The notes are easily accessible, as it allows the sorting of notes. The free version of the app only allows four sticky notes at once, which is passable. You’ll have to buy the app’s pro version to have more notes open simultaneously.
Download: Quick Note (Free, in-purchases available)
4. Ghostnote 2
Have you ever wanted to attach a sticky note to a particular folder, file, or website? If so, Ghostnote is there at your service. The app allows adding notes to any possible location, which pop-open when you visit it the next time. Unfortunately, you need to pay for this app, but, Ghostnote offers a free 14-day trial to try out the app first.
Not just that, Ghostnote also permits a classic style of note-taking and can even act as a to-do list too. To clear the clutter, it has something called “Ghostnote Browser,” which neatly arranges all your sticky notes, classic style notes, and to-do lists, making them easily accessible.
Even though the app hasn’t received an update for years, it doesn’t feel that ancient, to be frank. Besides different color options for sticky notes, Ghostnote also has a dark theme. All in all, the app still holds well for the things it offers.
Download: Ghostnote 2 ($9.99)
5. Unclutter
Unclutter is a supremely rated app with a prodigious concept. It’s a 3-in-1 tool that combines a clipboard, file center, and sticky notes under a single roof. Pulling down from the top of your Mac using a swipe gesture reveals the merrily arranged trio. You can resize the sections according to your needs and even switch their places.
The files hub in the center acts like a portable file manager, and you can add files by dragging them. The clipboard on the left is self-explanatory and supports Universal Clipboard as well. Sticky notes on the right can be fruitful, as Unclutter can be pinned and accessed over other apps, including those in full-screen mode.
You can always switch off any of the above functionalities if required. Moreover, the default way to open the app is alterable. Unclutter can sync across all your Macs via iCloud Drive or Dropbox. It has a dark theme too. Unclutter is a paid app that is quite costly, but the developer has taken up the noble initiative of donating all the revenue to help the people of Ukraine.
Download: Unclutter ($19.99)
6. Jot
The app might have a feature list as extensive as its name, but it is as effortless. Jot is a minimal offering that can best describe as a blank canvas to write your heart out. The developer represents Jot as “That random piece of paper in your Mac menubar.” It is open source, which is arguably the best thing about Jot.
No configuration is required, and you can go on typing immediately. The notes get saved automatically, so you need not worry about losing them. You can use Jot to remove text formatting if you wish. You can make notes to float over other windows that are stored locally. The app isn’t free but comes relatively cheap.
Download: Jot ($4.99)
7. Stickies
If you’re wondering, this isn’t the same as before. Stickies is a drastically different app geared toward teams and professionals. The main idea is to act like a board for members to collaborate and work together. Of course, you can create sticky notes, but it’s more suited for tracking progress and upcoming tasks. Notes can also be tagged and labeled.
A fittingly named section wall is where all the notes are present. You can embed videos, photos, files, and more for others to keep track of assignments. Stickies is comparable to Trello or Asana, but you can also use it for personal works like school projects, content curation, etc. It can show other members’ real-time updates and has chat and video call support.
There are pre-made templates, too, so you can create appropriate-looking notes if needed. Stickies integrates well with dozens of apps, including Google Drive, YouTube, Slack, etc., and has multi-platform support. The free version of the app allows three walls, three collaborators, and 1 GB of cloud storage. There are various paid plans you can purchase.
Download: Stickies (Free, subscription available)
Make Sticky Notes on Your Mac
While Stickies, the one that comes pre-installed, is the go-to choice for most, you can’t go wrong with Quick Notes or Simple Antnotes either. Ghostnote and Unclutter are for extensive power users and are splendid in that regard. Provided you’re okay paying the pricey sum, Unclutter, in our opinion, is a must-try.
If you’re constantly working with your team members and often collaborate, you should seriously consider Stickies. Jot and Scrawl are tailor-made for occasional and once-in-a-while note-taking.
That concludes our article on the Best Sticky Note Apps for Mac.