Noticky vs Antinote
Both apps live in your menu bar with a global hotkey — and that's where the similarities end. Antinote ($5) is a temporary scratchpad: write, use, swipe away. Noticky ($6.99) is a persistent sticky note: write once, stays visible above every app, even fullscreen. The decision isn't 'which has more features' — it's 'do you want notes that disappear, or notes that stay?'
| Feature | Noticky | Antinote |
|---|---|---|
| Float above fullscreen apps | ✦ | Beta dropdown mode only (v2.0+) |
| Markdown support | WYSIWYG H1-H6, code | Simple (headers, bold, italic, code) |
| iCloud Sync | ✦ | Beta v2.0+ only, not in stable v1.1.7 |
| Global hotkey capture | ⌘⇧N | ⌥A |
| Smart tags + filtering | ✦ | Tagless by design |
| Export PDF, MD, TXT | PDF, MD, TXT | TXT + Apple Notes/Obsidian/Bear (URL schemes) |
| Touch ID lock | ✦ | — |
| Menu bar — no Dock icon | ✦ | Dock / Menu / Dropdown modes |
| persistence | Persistent sticky notes | Temporary scratchpad by design |
| calculations | — | Natural language math, currency, units |
| timer | — | Pomodoro built-in |
| ocr | — | Screenshot to text |
| Custom themes | — | 14 + Theme Maker |
| Price | $6.99 | $5 |
| Native macOS design | ✦ | ✦ |
Choose Antinote if your notes are throwaway
Antinote is built explicitly for ephemeral capture. Solo dev Johnson Fung designed it as a deliberately temporary tool — no folders, no tags, no historical search by design (their press kit literally says so). The trade-off is rich scratchpad features: inline natural-language math (currency, units, variables), built-in Pomodoro timer with full-screen alerts, OCR screenshot-to-text, AutoPaste clipboard capture, 14 themes + Theme Maker, JS Extensions (v2.0 beta). $5 one-time, 7-day free trial, lifetime updates. macOS 14 Sonoma+.
Choose Noticky if your notes need to stay visible
Noticky is built for persistence. The flagship feature is Always on Top — notes float above every app, including fullscreen (Xcode, Keynote, Logic Pro). iCloud Sync ships in stable, your notes appear on all your Macs. Touch ID lock per note for sensitive content. Smart tags + colors. Markdown WYSIWYG with live rendering. Layout Modes (Free / Stack / Tile, ⌘⇧1/2/3) to arrange multiple notes on screen. Templates and Reminders included. $6.99 one-time, no subscription. macOS 15 Sequoia+.
Key Differences
The fundamental question: disappear or stay?
Antinote's design philosophy (their own press kit) is that notes are ephemeral — you write, you use, you swipe to delete. No folders, no tags, search is intentionally barebones. Noticky takes the opposite position: notes are meant to stay visible and persist. The right choice depends entirely on the job. There is no 'better' app — just the right tool for your workflow. Most users genuinely fit one camp or the other.
Always on Top: stable in Noticky, beta in Antinote
Noticky's flagship feature is Always on Top — notes float above every app including fullscreen apps like Xcode, Keynote, or Logic Pro. Built into the stable release using dedicated macOS window levels. Antinote does offer fullscreen overlay, but only in its v2.0 beta Dropdown mode; the stable v1.1.7 does not pierce fullscreen. If you need notes visible during a fullscreen presentation today, Noticky has it shipped.
Antinote's superpowers: math, timer, OCR (honest acknowledgment)
Antinote has features Noticky doesn't. Inline natural-language math: type '100 USD to EUR' or '5 miles in km' and get the result instantly. Built-in Pomodoro timer with full-screen break alerts and streak tracking. OCR that extracts text from dragged screenshots. AutoPaste mode that captures clipboard content automatically. JS Extensions (v2.0 beta) for custom commands. If these features matter to your daily workflow, Antinote is the better fit — and that's a legitimate choice.
Noticky's superpowers: persistence, sync, lock
Noticky's unique features all serve persistence. iCloud Sync in stable release — notes appear automatically on all your Macs. Touch ID lock per individual note — passwords, API keys, anything sensitive stays biometrically protected. Smart tags + custom colors for visual organization. Layout Modes (Free / Stack / Tile) to arrange multiple sticky notes on screen with ⌘⇧1/2/3. Templates for repeated structures. 30-day trash retention. None of these exist in Antinote because Antinote isn't trying to do them — and that's fine.
Price: $5 vs $6.99 — not the deciding factor
Antinote is $5 one-time with a 7-day free trial. Noticky is $6.99 one-time, no trial (Mac App Store handles 14-day refunds). Both lifetime updates, no subscription. Antinote is also bundled in Setapp ($9.99/month). The $2 gap isn't meaningful — both are absurdly cheap for the value. Pick based on the job your notes need to do, not the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Antinote vs Noticky — which one should I pick?
Ask one question: do you want notes that disappear after use, or notes that stay visible while you work? If disappear → Antinote ($5, temporary scratchpad with math, timer, OCR). If stay visible → Noticky ($6.99, persistent sticky notes with Always on Top, iCloud sync, Touch ID lock). The feature lists matter less than this philosophical choice. Both apps execute their respective philosophies well — they just solve opposite problems.
I need notes visible during fullscreen apps (Xcode, Keynote, Logic Pro). Which one?
Noticky. Always on Top is the flagship feature in Noticky's stable release — notes pierce fullscreen using a dedicated macOS window level. Antinote v2.0 beta adds a Dropdown mode with fullscreen support, but it's not yet in stable. If you need it shipped today and reliable across Xcode, Keynote, Logic Pro, and other fullscreen apps, Noticky is the answer.
I want a scratchpad for thoughts I'll throw away in 5 minutes. Which one?
Antinote. It was designed exactly for that — temporary notes, swipe to delete, no organizational overhead. The inline math, Pomodoro timer, OCR, and AutoPaste pair beautifully with throwaway workflows. Noticky would be overkill because its features (Touch ID lock, iCloud sync, tags, templates) all assume the notes persist. Use the right tool for the job.
Is Antinote better than Noticky?
On raw feature count, Antinote has more chiffrable features (math, timer, OCR, AutoPaste, 14 themes, JS Extensions). On persistence and Always-on-Top behavior, Noticky is the only one with stable shipped functionality. Neither is 'better' globally — they serve opposite jobs. Antinote is better for temporary scratchpad work. Noticky is better for persistent sticky notes that need to stay visible during fullscreen workflows. Honest answer: both are excellent at their respective philosophies.
Does Antinote work above fullscreen apps like Noticky?
Partially. Antinote v1.1.7 stable does not float above fullscreen — you get Dock, Menu, or Dropdown modes. The v2.0+ beta adds Dropdown mode with fullscreen support, but it's not yet stable. Noticky's Always on Top is in the stable release and uses dedicated macOS window levels to pierce fullscreen reliably across all apps.
Can I do math inside Noticky like in Antinote?
No. Noticky is a sticky notes app with Markdown WYSIWYG — it doesn't compute math expressions. If inline calculations, currency conversions, or unit conversions matter to your workflow, Antinote (or Soulver, Numi for dedicated calculation tools) is the right pick. Noticky focuses on persistent visibility and quick capture, not computation.
Why pay $6.99 for Noticky when Antinote is $5?
Because they solve different problems, not because one is 'better feature for feature'. The $2 difference pays for persistence behavior: Always on Top stable, iCloud Sync stable, Touch ID lock, Layout Modes, Templates. If you don't need persistence, save the $2 and pick Antinote — it's genuinely excellent at what it does. If you need notes that stay visible across fullscreen apps and synced across Macs, Noticky's $6.99 is the right tool.
Can I use Antinote and Noticky together?
Yes — and many power users do. Antinote (⌥A) for temporary scratchpad: calculations, copy-paste batching, ephemeral thoughts that disappear. Noticky (⌘⇧N) for persistent reference: tasks you keep checking, code snippets you keep glancing at, notes that need to stay visible. The hotkeys don't conflict. Total cost: $11.99 one-time for two best-in-class apps in their respective categories — still cheaper than one month of most subscription note apps.
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