AquaSnap vs WindowTop (2026): which should you pick?

Pick AquaSnap if

• Fits if you use Windows and want to snap windows into layouts
• Works for a personal computer, where the freeware edition is allowed

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it's Windows only
• Pricey if you need it for work and buy one license, at $29 against $16 in the middle
• Tight if you want freeware at work, because that edition is personal use only
• Watch out: a site license is $899

Pick WindowTop if

• Fits if you keep a video or notes window floating above your work
• Works for people who want see-through windows on Windows

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you use it for work on the free edition, as business use needs Pro
• Tight if you want picture-in-picture or anchors free, since those are Pro
• Watch out: the Microsoft Store version has no trial
• Watch out: the vendor says dark mode may be unstable on Windows 10 and glass mode can be slow at 4K

AquaSnap

• Windows only (Windows 7 through 11).
• The free edition is for personal use; work use needs a Professional license.
• The vendor offers a 90-day money-back guarantee on paid licenses.

WindowTop

• The free edition is for personal, non-commercial use only; business use needs a Pro license.
• Windows only, and 64-bit only; dark mode and glass mode need Windows 10 or later.
• The vendor says dark mode is stable on Windows 11 and may be unstable on Windows 10, and that glass mode can be slow at 4K.
• A Pro license covers 3 computers per user; teams and companies are pointed to a separate license plan.

AquaSnap

Window docking

Drag a window to a side or corner of the screen and it resizes to half or a quarter of the screen.

Tiling

With two windows side by side, resizing one while holding Ctrl resizes the other as well.

Snapping and stretching

Windows snap to each other like magnets, and double-clicking an edge stretches a window in one direction.

Move windows together

Hold Ctrl while moving one window and the group of adjacent windows follows.

Shake for transparent, always-on-top

Shaking a window makes it transparent and keeps it on top; shaking again restores it.

Keyboard and mouse shortcuts

Every feature has customizable keyboard shortcuts, and window frame areas can be given extra mouse actions.

WindowTop

Always on top

Keeps any window above others and can mark it with a colored border whose color and thickness are adjustable.

Opacity and click-through

Makes a window see-through and lets mouse clicks pass through it to what sits behind, for tracing or referencing.

Picture-in-picture and crop

Pro turns a window into a floating view, lets you interact with it there and crop it to a region, which can be detected automatically since version 5.29.

Anchors

Pro places clickable anchors on screen to bring a window forward in one click, which the vendor presents as quicker than Alt+Tab.

Dark mode and glass mode

Applies a dark theme to windows that have none and offers separate opacity and blur settings for backgrounds, text and images.

Saved window settings

Pro remembers per-window settings, such as always on top, and supports white and black lists of programs.

AquaSnap

• Personal$0

  Freeware for personal use only; the pricing page lists the same features as the paid editions.

• Professional, Standard License$29

  per license (1 computer)

  For professional use on one computer. Volume pricing runs from $21.75 each for 2 licenses down to $18 each for 10 or more.

• Professional, Site License$899

  per site

  One license covering a site; the page says 1 license per site.

WindowTop

• Free$0

  Always on top and opacity for personal, non-commercial use.

• Pro$19

  one-time, for 3 computers per user

  Unlocks picture-in-picture, anchors, saved window settings, fuller dark mode and commercial use. The Microsoft Store version costs more.

AquaSnap

• Other savings

  Volume discounts on Professional licenses

  The pricing page lists 25% off for 2 licenses, up to 38% off for 10 or more.

WindowTop

No public discounts listed.