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A Stickies alternative for Mac
Stickies is free, built in and fine for a few notes on one desktop. If you want notes in fullscreen, off a screen share, or locked, Hoverpad is built for that.
Hoverpad and Stickies side by side
| Hoverpad | Apple Stickies | |
|---|---|---|
| Floats over normal windows | Yes | Yes (Float on Top) |
| Stays visible over fullscreen apps | Yes | No |
| Hide notes from screen sharing | Yes, per note or all at once | No built-in option |
| Lock a note with Touch ID | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Show a note only in one app | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Pin part of your screen, even live | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Quick Add from any app | Yes | No |
| Price | Free for 3 notes; Pro $9.99 once | Free, built into macOS |
Comparison checked October 2026. Stickies features can change with macOS updates.
When Stickies is enough
If you keep a handful of notes on a normal desktop, never work fullscreen and never share your screen, Stickies does the job at no cost, and there’s nothing to install.
When to switch to Hoverpad
- Your notes disappear when an app goes fullscreen. Read why in notes over fullscreen apps.
- You present or take calls and don’t want your notes on the share. See hiding notes from screen sharing.
- You want checklists you can tick, a quick way to capture a thought, and a tidy layout instead of notes scattered around.
- You use more than one Mac and want your notes on all of them through iCloud.
Moving your notes across
There’s no importer, but moving over is quick: open a Stickies note, select all, copy, and paste it into a new Hoverpad note (⌃⌥N). Keep Stickies installed until you’re happy with the switch.
Questions
Is Hoverpad a replacement for Stickies?
For most uses, yes. Hoverpad covers floating notes, colours and checklists, and adds fullscreen support, screen-sharing privacy, Touch ID lock and iCloud sync. Stickies remains a good free option for simple use.
Does Apple Stickies work over fullscreen apps?
No. Stickies’ Float on Top keeps notes above normal windows, but they don’t show over apps in fullscreen mode.
Can I use Hoverpad and Stickies together?
Yes. They don’t conflict, so you can keep both while you decide.
Free to start, with Hoverpad Pro as a one-time purchase. Requires macOS 15 or later. Tell me when it launches.
More from Hoverpad
Floating sticky notes for Mac
Notes that hover above every window, always where you can see them.
Read more →Notes over fullscreen apps
Why notes vanish in fullscreen, and how to keep them on screen.
Read more →Hide notes from screen sharing
Keep private notes visible to you and invisible on Zoom, Meet and Teams.
Read more →Pin part of your screen
Float a chart, design or live dashboard above your other windows.
Read more →