Stik vs Apple Notes — Quick Capture Comparison
Apple Notes is convenient because it's pre-installed. But if you care about speed, file ownership, and privacy, Stik does things differently.
| Feature | Stik | Apple Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Global keyboard shortcut | ⌘⇧S — works from any app | fn+Q for Quick Note (macOS only) |
| Note format | Plain markdown (.md) files | Proprietary format (Apple Notes DB) |
| Local-first storage | Yes — ~/Documents/Stik/, always local | Yes — On My Mac storage; iCloud optional |
| Export & portability | Notes are already .md files — no export needed | Export individual notes as Markdown or PDF |
| On-device AI search | Yes — semantic search, smart folders | No (basic text search only) |
| Open source | Yes — MIT license | No — closed source |
| Price | Free | Free (bundled with macOS) |
| Cross-platform sync | No (macOS only, git for sharing) | Yes (iCloud across Apple devices) |
| Rich media (images, sketches) | Markdown, images, and wiki links | Yes — images, sketches, tables, links |
| Git-based sharing | Yes — share folders via git | No |
Checked September 5, 2026 against Apple Notes documentation, Obsidian pricing, and SideNotes for Mac. Prices are in USD; taxes and regional pricing may vary.
The bottom line
Apple Notes is a solid general-purpose note app. It syncs across Apple devices, supports rich media, and is free with every Mac. For casual notes that live in the Apple ecosystem, it works fine.
Apple Notes stores notes in its own library, with local storage or optional iCloud sync. Current versions export individual notes as Markdown or PDF; a large migration still needs review of formatting and attachments.
Stik takes a different approach: your notes are plain markdown files on your local disk. You own them completely. Stik's global shortcut (⌘⇧S) opens a floating note. Its semantic search runs locally, without sending note content to an AI service.
If you value speed, file ownership, and privacy over cross-device sync, Stik is the better quick capture tool.
Try Stik free
Download Stik and start capturing thoughts in with the global shortcut. Free, open source, no account required.
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