A Microsoft Sticky Notes alternative with notes that follow your apps

By Adam Działo Updated

Why people look for an alternative

  • Everything is in one pile. Ten notes about ten different programs, and you scroll the list to find the one for the app in front of you.
  • Notes don’t stay on top. What’s the point of a note that gets buried under other windows every time you switch focus?
  • Notes are obtrusive. Always-on-top is a double-edged sword. Being able to dock a note to the screen edge is as valuable as being able to pin it on top.

GeniusNotes vs Microsoft Sticky Notes

GeniusNotes vs Microsoft Sticky Notes
Feature GeniusNotesMicrosoft Sticky Notes
Price Free core, premium is one-time Free
Each app gets its own note Yes No
Notes show and hide by themselves Yes No
Keep a note on top of everything Yes Only the 2024+ remake
Dock notes to the screen edge Yes No
Screenshots in notes Premium Yes
Phone sync No Yes
Works without an account Yes Yes
Always-on-top calculator Yes No
Checked on 1 October 2026.

What Microsoft Sticky Notes does better

  • It’s free, all of it.
  • Your notes are on your phone too, through OneNote.

What GeniusNotes does differently

Notes that follow your apps

Open Excel and press Alt+N: that note now belongs to Excel. It shows up whenever Excel is active and hides when you switch to anything else, so the screen only ever shows notes that matter right now.

Each app brings its own note: Excel's note hides when the browser takes over.
Each app brings its own note: Excel's note hides when the browser takes over.

Pin a note on top of everything

A pinned note stays above every window, across every app, until you unpin it. Alt+Shift+H unpins and hides every note at once, handy right before a screen share.

A pinned note stays on top while you move between apps.
A pinned note stays on top while you move between apps.

Park notes at the screen edge

Drag a note to the edge of the screen and it tucks away as a small folder tab. Grab the tab and the note slides back out.

Dragging a note to the screen edge turns it into a small tab.
Dragging a note to the screen edge turns it into a small tab.

One note with tabs, if you prefer

Like having everything in one place, the Sticky Notes way? GeniusNote is a single note that is always one shortcut away (Alt+Shift+N), with as many tabs as you like, text formatting and pasted screenshots. Part of premium.

GeniusNote, the single GeniusNotes note with tabs, showing a recipe with bold text and a pasted photo

A calculator that stays on top

GeniusNotes also comes with GeniusUtility, a free calculator panel that floats above your other windows. More in always on top calculator for Windows.

Switching from Microsoft Sticky Notes

  1. Install GeniusNotes from the Microsoft Store. It’s free.
  2. Open the program of your choice, say Excel, and press Alt+N.
  3. Paste the text of your old note into the new one.

Which one should you pick?

Pick Microsoft Sticky Notes if you want your notes on your phone, or you want everything free with no limits.

Pick GeniusNotes if your notes belong to the programs you work in: a checklist for Excel, commands for the terminal, a script outline for Word. You’ll see each one exactly when you need it, and GeniusNote keeps everything else together in tabs.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a better sticky notes app than Microsoft Sticky Notes?
It depends on what you need. For notes that appear only in the app they belong to, GeniusNotes is built for exactly that. For notes on your phone, Microsoft Sticky Notes is hard to beat, and it is free.
Can I keep Microsoft Sticky Notes on top of other windows?
The way that works with every version is Microsoft PowerToys: turn on Always On Top, click the note and press Win+Ctrl+T. GeniusNotes has pinning built in.
Does GeniusNotes sync with my phone?
No. Notes stay on your PC: there is no account, no cloud and no phone app.