Apple Notes vs Stickier
We give Apple Notes a 3.8 GPA and Stickier a 3.2, out of 4.0. Apple Notes grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Stickier
Sticky notes for Mac with iCloud sync and an iPhone companion app
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAApple NotesExcellent | 3.2GPAStickierVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on the App Store, with no in-app purchases. The only money that might come up is iCloud storage: 5 GB is free, and iCloud+ starts at $0.99 a month for 50 GB. | AThe Mac app is free, with no in-app purchases listed. Stickier Mobile for iPhone and iPad is $4.99 once on the US App Store, and it supports Family Sharing. That's less than a month of a typical note subscription. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus the browser at iCloud.com. Sync runs on the 5 GB of iCloud storage that comes with an Apple Account. | AOn a Mac the whole app is free: note windows, iCloud sync, revisions and the quick note shortcut. If your notes only need to live on your Mac, you never pay. It's the phone app that costs. |
| Features | AText, checklists, tables, scans, sketches and audio recordings with live transcripts, all in one note. Search reads handwriting and the text inside scanned documents. Add tags, Smart Folders, links between notes, shared folders and locked notes. | BEach note is its own window that can collapse, stay on top or snap to a grid. Notes take bold, italics, links, bullets and checkboxes, and a revisions button brings back earlier text. Solid for sticky notes, which is the whole job here. No reminders or attachments are on record, though. |
| Ease of use | A4.8 from about 650,000 App Store ratings. Commenters who tried Obsidian, Notion or Evernote say they settled on it because it's simple and already there. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. A global shortcut key starts a quick note, and notes save automatically. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus a web version at iCloud.com for everything else. No Android or Windows app, though, and sharing only works with people who use iCloud. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, synced through iCloud, and that's the lot. No Windows, Android or web version, and no other sync service is named. The Mac app needs macOS 13.1 or later, and the mobile one iOS or iPadOS 16.4. |
| Best for | free notes if you only use Apple devices | free sticky notes on a Mac that sync through iCloud |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Apple Notes and Stickier. How we grade
Where they differ
- Apple Notes is free. Stickier starts at $4.99 one-time purchase for the iPhone and iPad app.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- Stickier can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Apple Notes also covers transcription and linked notes.
- Stickier also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planiOSmacOSNotes
At a glance
| Apple Notes | Stickier | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $4.99 one-time purchase for the iPhone and iPad app |
| Free plan | The app is listed as free on the App Store, with no in-app purchases. Syncing runs through iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage with an Apple Account. | The Mac app is free on the Mac App Store, and its listing shows no in-app purchases. The iPhone and iPad companion app, Stickier Mobile, is a paid download. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Apple | Camazotz LLC |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apps.apple.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Apple Notes
- People who use only Apple devices
- Quick capture with Quick Note, Siri or dictation on Apple Watch
- Scanning receipts and documents into searchable notes
- Families and friends sharing notes and folders over iCloud
Stickier
- Mac users who want floating sticky notes that sync through iCloud
- Keeping a short checklist on top of other windows
- Showing a note in an iPhone Home Screen or Lock Screen widget
Worth knowing
Apple Notes
- Apps are listed only for Apple devices; on anything else, notes are reached in a web browser at iCloud.com.
- Notes on iCloud.com works only with notes stored in iCloud, not with notes kept in other accounts such as Google or Yahoo.
- Sync relies on iCloud, which includes 5 GB of free storage; iCloud+ plans with more storage start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB.
- Sharing is limited to people who use iCloud, and Apple says certain features are available only in select languages and regions.
Stickier
- It runs on Apple devices only: the site lists a macOS app and an iOS app, with no Windows, Android or web version.
- The Mac app is free, but the iPhone and iPad app is a separate $4.99 purchase on the US App Store.
- Sync runs through iCloud; the site and the store listings name no other sync service.
- The Mac app requires macOS 13.1 or later, and Stickier Mobile requires iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later.
Key features
Apple Notes
- Rich notes
- A note can combine text styles, checklists, tables, photos, PDFs, maps and web links. Section headers collapse to hide the text under them.
- Audio recording and transcripts
- Audio sessions are recorded inside a note with a live transcript, and transcripts are searchable to find a particular moment.
- Document scanner and handwriting
- A built-in scanner captures paper documents. Sketches and handwriting are added with a finger, or with Apple Pencil on a compatible iPad, including on inline PDFs.
- Folders, tags and Smart Folders
- Notes sit in folders and subfolders or carry typed or handwritten tags. Smart Folders collect notes by rules such as date created, checklists or attachments.
- Search and links between notes
- Search covers typed text, handwriting and the text inside scanned documents and photos. Notes can link to one another, with >> as a typing shortcut.
- Shared and locked notes
- Notes and folders can be shared with other iCloud users, with changes shown in real time and an Activity view. A note can be locked with the device passcode or a custom password.
Stickier
- Sticky note windows
- On the Mac each note opens in its own window, which can be collapsed, kept always on top of other windows, and lined up with a snap-to-grid option.
- iCloud sync
- Notes save automatically and sync through iCloud between Macs, iPhones and iPads. Custom note colors sync across devices as well.
- Note revisions
- A revisions button on the note toolbar shows recent revisions of a note, and a Restore button replaces the current text with an earlier revision.
- Formatting, bullets and checkboxes
- Notes take bold, italic, underlined and struck-through text and web links. Bullets and checkboxes repeat on the next line and can be indented.
- Menu bar and quick note shortcut
- The Mac app offers optional menu bar access and a global shortcut key for quick notes. A second shortcut can show the notes list window.
- Widgets on iPhone and iPad
- Stickier Mobile shows notes in Home Screen, Today View and Lock Screen widgets, and the widget text size can be changed in Settings.
Plans
Apple Notes
Free$0
Every feature of the app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, plus browser access at iCloud.com.
Stickier
Stickier$0
The Mac app, free on the Mac App Store with no in-app purchases listed. Requires macOS 13.1 or later.
Stickier Mobile$4.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone and iPad companion app, with Home Screen, Today View and Lock Screen widgets. Supports Family Sharing; requires iOS 16.4 or later.
