Always on Top on macOS: How to Keep Any Window Visible

macOS has no built-in "always on top"

Unlike Windows, macOS doesn't offer a native way to pin a window above all other windows. There's no right-click option, no system shortcut, and no built-in toggle. If you need a reference note, a timer, or any window to stay visible while you work, you're out of luck — unless you use a third-party tool.

This is especially frustrating in fullscreen mode, where macOS creates a separate Space and hides every other window.

On Windows, you can use PowerToys to pin any window on top with a simple Win-Ctrl-T shortcut. macOS has no equivalent, and Apple has shown no sign of adding one. This means macOS users depend entirely on third-party solutions — each with its own limitations.

Understanding macOS window levels

To understand why "always on top" is hard on macOS, it helps to know how the window system works. macOS assigns every window a window level — a numeric value that determines its stacking order. Normal app windows sit at level 0 (called NSNormalWindowLevel). Floating panels sit higher. The menu bar, screen savers, and system alerts sit higher still.

Most "always on top" tools work by raising a window to a floating level (e.g., NSFloatingWindowLevel, level 3). This keeps the window above standard windows but within the same Space. The problem is that fullscreen mode on macOS creates a completely separate Space. Spaces are isolated environments — a window in Space 1 cannot appear in Space 2, regardless of its window level. Fullscreen apps get their own Space, so any "always on top" window in your regular desktop Space is invisible there.

The only way to bypass this is to use a window level that macOS treats as Space-independent — a level high enough that the system renders it above the fullscreen compositing layer. This is what Noticky does. Most other tools don't.

Why you might need always-on-top

• Developers: Keep code snippets, API docs, or environment variables visible while coding in VS Code or Xcode fullscreen
• Designers: Pin a design brief, brand guidelines, or color palette next to Figma or Sketch
• Writers: Reference notes and outlines visible while drafting in a distraction-free fullscreen editor
• Remote workers: Meeting agendas and action items floating above Zoom, Google Meet, or Slack
• Students: Lecture notes, formulas, or study guides visible while watching a recorded lecture or taking an online exam
• Traders/analysts: Keep a watchlist or calculator pinned above a fullscreen trading platform

The common thread: you need information visible while your main app has focus. Context switching — even a 2-second swipe between Spaces — breaks flow and costs more time than you think.

Option 1: Noticky — Always on top for sticky notes ($6)

If your use case is keeping notes visible, Noticky is purpose-built for this. It's a native macOS menu bar app whose core feature is Always on Top: your sticky notes float above every window, including fullscreen apps.

How it works:

1. Press `Command-Shift-N` from anywhere (global hotkey)

2. Type your note (full Markdown WYSIWYG — headings, bold, code blocks, lists)

3. The note floats above everything — even fullscreen apps

4. Drag it to any position on screen — it stays there across app switches and Space changes

Noticky uses a macOS window level that persists across fullscreen Spaces — not just a floating level, but one that the system renders above the fullscreen compositing layer. This is the key technical difference between Noticky and every other tool on this list.

Beyond Always on Top, Noticky includes iCloud Sync, Touch ID lock for sensitive notes, smart tags with color coding, templates for recurring note formats, reminders, and export to PDF/Markdown/text. It costs $6 once with no subscription and no account required.

Best for: Anyone who needs reference notes visible at all times — especially in fullscreen.

Get Noticky →

Option 2: Afloat — Always on top for any window (free, legacy)

Afloat is an older open-source tool that lets you pin any window on top using a keyboard shortcut. It works via SIMBL (Smart InputManager Bundle Loader) injection, which means it injects code into running applications to modify their window behavior at runtime.

The SIMBL approach is inherently fragile. Every major macOS update can break it, because Apple frequently changes the internal APIs that SIMBL relies on. With macOS 15 Sequoia's hardened runtime restrictions and SIP (System Integrity Protection), Afloat may not function at all on modern Macs without disabling security features — which is a significant trade-off. It also doesn't support fullscreen Spaces, so pinned windows still vanish when you enter fullscreen.

• Price: Free
• Status: Unmaintained, likely incompatible with macOS 15
• Best for: Legacy setups on older macOS versions where security restrictions are relaxed

Option 3: BetterTouchTool — Always on top via automation ($22)

BetterTouchTool (BTT) is a powerful Mac automation tool that includes, among hundreds of features, an "always on top" window action. You can assign any hotkey or gesture to pin the frontmost window above others.

BTT's strength is versatility. Beyond window pinning, it offers custom trackpad gestures, keyboard shortcuts, Touch Bar customization, window snapping, clipboard management, and scripting. If you already use BTT for other automation, the "always on top" feature is a natural addition at no extra cost.

The limitation remains fullscreen. BTT raises windows to a floating level, which works on the regular desktop but cannot cross fullscreen Space boundaries. Your pinned window disappears the moment you enter fullscreen mode.

• Price: $22 one-time (or $10 for 2-year license)
• Status: Actively maintained with frequent updates
• Best for: Power users who already use or want BTT for general Mac automation

Option 4: Helium — Always on top for web content (free)

Helium is a lightweight floating browser window. Load a URL — a YouTube video, a documentation page, a web dashboard — and it hovers above your other windows with adjustable transparency. It's ideal for picture-in-picture video watching or keeping a web-based reference visible.

Helium is purpose-built for web content, so it doesn't work with local files, notes, or arbitrary windows. It also doesn't survive fullscreen mode.

• Price: Free
• Status: Open source, sporadically maintained
• Best for: Floating a web page, video, or web doc above regular windows

Option 5: Rectangle Pro — Always on top toggle ($10)

Rectangle Pro is a window management tool (the paid successor to the free Rectangle) that includes an "always on top" toggle accessible via a per-window menu or hotkey. You can pin any window above others, combine it with window snapping, and use it as part of your general window management workflow.

It's well-maintained, fast, and integrates naturally into macOS window management. But like BTT, it can only float windows within the current Space — not above fullscreen apps.

• Price: $10 one-time
• Status: Actively maintained
• Best for: Users who want window management (snapping, layouts) with an always-on-top bonus

DIY solutions: AppleScript and Automator

If you prefer building your own solution, macOS provides limited options:

AppleScript / JXA: You can use System Events to manipulate window properties, but there's no AppleScript command to set a window's level to floating. The AXRaise accessibility attribute can bring a window to front, but it doesn't pin it — the next click on another window sends it behind again. This isn't a real "always on top" solution.

Automator / Shortcuts: Neither Automator nor the macOS Shortcuts app provides a window level action. You can't create a workflow that pins a window on top.

Hammerspoon (Lua scripting): Hammerspoon is a macOS automation tool that exposes low-level APIs. You can use hs.window:setLevel() to set a window to a floating level. This works for keeping windows above normal windows, but — like every other solution except Noticky — it doesn't cross fullscreen Space boundaries. Example: hs.window.focusedWindow():setLevel(3) sets the focused window to floating level.

The reality: there's no DIY solution that achieves always-on-top in fullscreen. The fullscreen compositing layer is managed by the window server, and standard window level APIs can't override it.

Comparison

The fullscreen problem explained

Most "always on top" tools work in regular desktop mode but fail in fullscreen. This is because macOS fullscreen creates a separate Space at the window server level. Standard window pinning raises a window's level within a Space, but it cannot cross Space boundaries. The fullscreen Space is composited independently — it's essentially a different rendering context.

Noticky solves this using a macOS window level that the system renders above the fullscreen compositing layer, effectively making the note Space-independent. This is why it's the only sticky note app — and one of the very few tools of any kind — that stays visible above fullscreen apps.

FAQ

Can I use Stage Manager as an alternative to always-on-top?

Stage Manager (introduced in macOS Ventura) organizes windows into groups on the side of your screen. It's a window management approach, not a pinning mechanism. It doesn't keep windows visible above fullscreen apps. In fact, it can make the problem worse by hiding windows you want to see.

Will Apple ever add native always-on-top to macOS?

There's been no indication from Apple that this feature is planned. Apple's design philosophy for fullscreen is explicit isolation — one app, full focus. This conflicts with always-on-top, so it's unlikely to become a native feature.

Can I pin non-note windows above fullscreen?

Currently, no general-purpose tool reliably does this on macOS 15. The tools listed above (BTT, Rectangle Pro) work for regular desktop but not fullscreen. For notes specifically, Noticky is the only option.

Does always-on-top affect performance?

Noticky notes are lightweight native views, not browser-based overlays. They consume negligible CPU and memory. You won't notice any performance impact even with multiple notes pinned above a fullscreen app.

Bottom line

• Need notes above fullscreen? → Noticky ($6, purpose-built)
• Need any window pinned (non-fullscreen)? → BetterTouchTool ($22, most versatile)
• Just want a floating video? → Helium (free)
• Want window management + pin? → Rectangle Pro ($10)
• Want to script your own solution? → Hammerspoon (free, desktop only)

For sticky notes specifically, Noticky is the only tool that works above fullscreen. For general window pinning without fullscreen support, BetterTouchTool is the most reliable option.

Get Noticky →