The SideNotes Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about SideNotes in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
SideNotes
The Insider’s Guide
Screen-edge notes panel for Mac, with a separate iPhone app
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among note-taking apps, read from SideNotes’s own pages.
Made by Apptorium · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from SideNotes’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on SideNotes’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade
SideNotes is a Mac notes app from Apptorium that sits at the edge of the screen and opens over whatever app is in use. Notes can hold Markdown text, tasks, images, snippets and shortcuts to files, are organized in color-coded folders, and sync through iCloud. It is a one-time purchase per major version with a free trial, and SideNotes Mobile for iPhone and iPad is sold separately.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about SideNotes, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for notes that slide out from the edge of your Mac screen
SideNotes is a notes panel that hides at the edge of your Mac's screen and slides out over whatever you're doing, for $19.99 once.
- 2
What it costs
Paid plans start at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
- 3
You can try it first
Free trial download of the Mac app; the site does not state its length
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
macOS and iOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
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.
- 7
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.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 50 of 147
That is against the other note-taking apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of SideNotes you could make: notes, Markdown and tasks. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
SideNotes at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Free trial download of the Mac app; the site does not state its length
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS
- Made by
- Apptorium, since 2019
- Category
- Note-Taking Apps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for notes that slide out from the edge of your Mac screen
SideNotes is a notes panel that hides at the edge of your Mac's screen and slides out over whatever you're doing, for $19.99 once. It's Apple only, the iPhone and iPad app is a separate $9.99 without file shortcuts or backups, the site never says how long the trial runs, and the price covers version 1.x, with SideNotes 2 a paid upgrade.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | $19.99 once for the Mac app, covering 1 user on up to 5 Macs. A year of the middle note app here is $72, at $6 a month, so this is under a third of that and paid once. The iPhone and iPad app is another $9.99, and SideNotes 2 will be a paid upgrade. |
| Free plan and trial | C | No free version to settle on. There's a trial download of the Mac app with no card asked for, but the site never says how long it runs. After buying there's a 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Features | C | It does the screen-edge notes job completely: Markdown with the markup hidden, checklists, images, snippets and shortcuts to files in colour-coded folders, plus iCloud sync, automatic backups and an AppleScript API. But that's a smaller job than note-taking, and the phone app drops the file shortcuts and backups. |
| Ease of use | B | No rating on record, so we go by the listing: you open it with a click, a keyboard shortcut or by nudging the cursor to the screen edge, and a formatting toolbar appears when you select text. Nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | One family of devices: Mac, iPhone and iPad, synced through iCloud, with hooks into Alfred, Raycast, PopClip, Hookmark and Dropzone. The Mac app needs macOS 13 or later and the mobile one iOS or iPadOS 17. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who SideNotes is for
- Fits if you want notes at hand on a Mac without switching apps
- Works for keeping snippets, links and screenshots beside the thing you're working on
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Windows or Android, as it's Apple only and needs macOS 13 or iOS 17
- Pricey if you want it on your phone too, since SideNotes Mobile is a separate $9.99 and has no file shortcuts or backups
- Not for you if you hate paying twice, because the price covers version 1.x and SideNotes 2 will be a paid upgrade
- Watch out: the site offers a trial but never says how long it lasts
Good to know
Good for
- 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
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$9.99 one-time
To start
SideNotes is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $9.99 one-time for iPhone and iPad; $19.99 one-time for Mac.
There's a trial download of the Mac app with no card asked for, but the site never says how long it runs.
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.
Trying it first
Free trial download of the Mac app; the site does not state its length
Read from apptorium.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on apptorium.com
What the app costs elsewhere
Each country’s App Store price for the app, against $19.99 in the United States, in dollars at the day’s rate. The four cheapest and the four dearest of 11.
| Country | Price there | In dollars | Against the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $24.99 | $17.57 | 12% less |
| Turkey | ₺999,99 | $20.34 | about the same |
| Philippines | ₱ 1,290.00 | $20.53 | about the same |
| India | ₹ 1,999 | $20.67 | about the same |
| South Africa | R399.99 | $24.19 | 21% more |
| Germany | 22,99 € | $25.76 | 29% more |
| Brazil | R$ 129,90 | $25.95 | 30% more |
| United Kingdom | £19.99 | $26.43 | 32% more |
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: macOS and iOS
Screen-edge notes panel for Mac, with a separate iPhone app. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: one-time purchase, keyboard-first, notes, Markdown, tasks, menu bar app.
But that's a smaller job than note-taking, and the phone app drops the file shortcuts and backups.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
- iOS
What it works with
- iCloud
- Apple Shortcuts
- AppleScript
- Alfred
- Raycast
- PopClip
- Hookmark
- Dropzone
SideNotes is made by Apptorium, and has been around since 2019.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
50/147
Other note-taking apps it is graded above
SideNotes's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 62 of 147) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 148 note-taking apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. SideNotes’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 62 of 147
- CFree plan and trialAbove 7 of 147
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 147
- BEase of useAbove 47 of 147
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 31 of 147
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of SideNotes you could make: notes, Markdown and tasks. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $9.99, paid once.
What you could make
- Notes, Markdown and tasks: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A native app living in the menu bar.
- Apps for macOS and iOS that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, iCloud, Apple Shortcuts and AppleScript among them.
- Hooks into the device itself: Shortcuts.
What this rests on. SideNotes’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Tot, Antinote, Stickier, Drafts and Apple Notes
The 5 tools SideNotes is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Tot
Free plan · from $19.99 one-time
Seven-note text scratchpad for Mac, iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.
- Tot has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- SideNotes also covers tasks.
- 2.4GPA
Antinote
Free trial · from $5 one-time
Mac scratchpad for temporary notes, quick math and checklists.
- Only SideNotes lists an iOS app.
- SideNotes also covers Markdown and tasks.
- Antinote also covers Pomodoro timer and calculator.
- 2.8GPA
Stickier
Free plan · from $4.99 one-time
Sticky notes for Mac with iCloud sync and an iPhone companion app.
- Stickier has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- SideNotes also covers Markdown and tasks.
- 3.4GPA
Drafts
Free plan · from $1.99/mo
Quick-capture notes app for Apple devices with text actions.
- Drafts has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- SideNotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- SideNotes also covers tasks and menu bar app.
- 3.4GPA
Apple Notes
Free
Apple's free notes app for iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web.
- Apple Notes has a free plan. SideNotes does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Apple Notes lists a web app.
- SideNotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is SideNotes free?
No, SideNotes is a paid product, but you can try it first. Free trial download of the Mac app; the site does not state its length.
How much does SideNotes cost?
SideNotes lists 2 plans. SideNotes Mobile: $9.99 one-time purchase (US App Store).
What platforms does SideNotes work on?
SideNotes is available on macOS and iOS.
Does SideNotes offer any discounts?
SideNotes publicly lists the following: Student discount through Student App Centre.
Does SideNotes have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. SideNotes is listed for macOS and iOS.
Does SideNotes have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. SideNotes is listed for macOS and iOS.
Is SideNotes open source?
SideNotes is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
What does SideNotes integrate with?
SideNotes's listing names iCloud, Apple Shortcuts, AppleScript, Alfred, Raycast, PopClip, Hookmark and Dropzone.
Does SideNotes have a student discount?
Student discount through Student App Centre. Apptorium's buy page says a student discount on SideNotes is available through Student App Centre.
Who makes SideNotes?
SideNotes is made by Apptorium. It dates from 2019.
What are the alternatives to SideNotes?
The closest alternatives to SideNotes in our directory are Tot, Antinote, Stickier, Drafts and Apple Notes.
How does SideNotes compare with other note-taking apps?
SideNotes's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 50 of the 147 other note-taking apps we grade, and level with 21.
Could I make my own version of SideNotes?
The plain part of SideNotes you could make: notes, Markdown and tasks.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from SideNotes’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Apptorium's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-20.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Apptorium. Prices change, so check apptorium.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- SideNotes, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/sidenotes
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "SideNotes: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sidenotes
Know someone choosing between note-taking apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sidenotes/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded note-taking apps after SideNotes, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Note-Taking Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 148 note-taking apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft OneNote Insider's GuideMicrosoft's free digital notebook for typed, inked and audio notes3.8 GPA
- Goodnotes Insider's GuideHandwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant3.6 GPA
- Joplin Insider's GuideOpen source Markdown notes with sync through a service you choose3.6 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what SideNotes’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. SideNotes is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Apptorium. Prices and plans change: check apptorium.com before you buy.