Quick Note vs SideNotes
We give Quick Note a 2.8 GPA and SideNotes a 3.0, out of 4.0. SideNotes grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Quick Note
Menu bar sticky notes that float above other Mac windows
Free trial · from $12.99 one-time
SideNotes
Screen-edge notes panel for Mac, with a separate iPhone app
Free trial · from $9.99 one-time
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAQuick NoteGood | 3.0GPASideNotesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $12.99 once on the US App Store, and that one purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac. Paid plans in this category typically start at $5.99 a month, so it's about two months of somebody else's subscription. | A$19.99 once for the Mac app, for 1 user on up to 5 Macs. That's about what three or four months of a typical note subscription costs. The iPhone and iPad app is another $9.99, and SideNotes 2 will be a paid upgrade, discounted for owners. |
| Free plan and trial | CThere's no free plan to stay on. You can use it free for 30 days with up to 6 notes, which is enough to see if a floating note suits you. Going further needs the Pro purchase, and iCloud sync is Pro only. | CNo free version. There's a free trial download of the Mac app, but the site doesn't say how long it lasts. Once you've bought, there's a 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Features | BIt does one small thing fully. Notes float above other windows, turn translucent or collapse when they're in the way, and take headings, checklists and links from keyboard shortcuts. Colours, folders and favourites keep them sorted. It's a sticky note, not a notebook, and it doesn't pretend otherwise. | AIt does one thing, notes at the screen edge, and does it fully. Markdown with the markup hidden, checklists, images, snippets and shortcuts to files, all in colour-coded folders. Then iCloud sync, automatic backups, Shortcuts actions and an AppleScript API on top. |
| Ease of use | BWe have no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. Click the menu bar icon, or press the shortcut, and you're typing, with nothing to name or save. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. You open it with a click, a keyboard shortcut or by moving the cursor to the edge. A formatting toolbar appears when you select text. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac, iPhone and iPad, synced over iCloud with Pro, plus Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript, a desktop widget and Spotlight. All Apple. It needs macOS 15 or iOS 18 or later, and there's no Windows or Android version. | CMac, iPhone and iPad, synced through iCloud, with hooks into Alfred, Raycast, PopClip, Hookmark and Dropzone. All Apple, though. The Mac app needs macOS 13 or later, and the mobile one needs iOS or iPadOS 17. |
| Best for | floating sticky notes from the Mac menu bar | notes that slide out from the edge of your Mac screen |
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: Quick Note and SideNotes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Quick Note starts at $12.99 one-time. SideNotes starts at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- SideNotes also covers Markdown and tasks.
In commonmacOSiOSOne-time purchaseKeyboard-firstNotesMenu bar app
At a glance
| Quick Note | SideNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12.99 one-time | $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free to use for 30 days with up to 6 notes | Free trial download of the Mac app; the site does not state its length |
| macOS | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Kaunteya Suryawanshi | Apptorium |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | apptorium.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Quick Note
- Mac users who want a note visible on top of the window they work in
- Short-lived reminders, phone numbers and checklists
- People who format text from the keyboard
SideNotes
- Mac users who want notes at hand without switching apps
- Keeping snippets, links and screenshots beside the work in progress
- People who prefer a one-time purchase to a subscription
Worth knowing
Quick Note
- The free version stops at 6 notes and 30 days of use; going further needs the one-time Pro purchase.
- iCloud sync is part of Pro only.
- There is no Windows or Android version. The docs FAQ still calls the app Mac only, while the App Store lists an iPhone and iPad version.
- The App Store listing requires macOS 15 or later on the Mac and iOS 18 or later on iPhone and iPad.
SideNotes
- Apple platforms only: the Mac app needs macOS 13 or later, and SideNotes Mobile needs iOS or iPadOS 17.
- SideNotes Mobile is a separate $9.99 purchase and lacks the Mac app's file shortcuts and backups.
- The payment covers version 1.x. The vendor says SideNotes 2 will be a paid upgrade, discounted for owners and free for those who bought in the prior 6 months.
- A free trial is offered, but the site does not say how long it lasts.
Key features
Quick Note
- New note from the menu bar
- A click on the menu bar icon or a global keyboard shortcut opens a new note straight away, with nothing to name or save.
- Floating notes
- Notes stay on top of other apps' windows. A note can be made translucent when it is in the way, or collapsed to save space and expanded again.
- Rich text on keyboard shortcuts
- Headings, bold, italics, strikethrough, highlight, named links and bulleted, numbered and checklist lists are all applied with keyboard shortcuts.
- Colors, folders and favorites
- Each note can have its own color, related notes can be grouped in folders, and favorite notes are pinned to the top of the menu.
- iCloud sync
- With Pro, notes and folders are backed up to the user's iCloud account and kept in sync across Macs and with the iPhone and iPad app.
- macOS automation
- Notes can be created from a desktop widget, the Services menu, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript or Terminal, and found through Spotlight search.
SideNotes
- Screen-edge panel
- The panel sits on the left or right edge of the screen and shows above other apps, including full-screen ones. It opens with a click, a keyboard shortcut or by moving the cursor to the edge.
- Folders, colors and pinning
- Notes are grouped into folders, can be given colors, reordered by drag and drop, pinned to the top of the list and folded to save space.
- Markdown with hidden markup
- Notes are formatted with Markdown, and the markup can stay out of sight while writing. A formatting toolbar appears when text is selected.
- Tasks, images and file shortcuts
- A note can hold checklists, pictures, text snippets, or a shortcut to a file or folder. Color codes typed as #rrggbb get a preview.
- iCloud sync and backups
- Notes sync through iCloud across Mac, iPhone and iPad. The Mac app also backs notes up automatically to a local folder, or to iCloud.
- Automation
- Shortcuts actions, an AppleScript API and URL links to notes and folders let other apps create, find and open notes. The site lists Alfred, Raycast, PopClip, Hookmark and Dropzone.
Plans
Quick Note
Quick Note Pro$12.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
Removes the 6-note and 30-day limits of the free version and adds iCloud sync. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad and Mac.
SideNotes
SideNotes Mobile$9.99
one-time purchase (US App Store)
The iPhone and iPad app, sold separately from the Mac app. It syncs through iCloud but has no file shortcuts or backups.
SideNotes$19.99
one-time purchase per major version
The Mac app: a license for 1 user on up to 5 Macs, free updates within version 1.x and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Ways to pay less
Quick Note
No public discounts listed.
SideNotes
- Education
Student discount through Student App Centre
Apptorium's buy page says a student discount on SideNotes is available through Student App Centre. The page does not give the size of the discount.
