Stik vs SideNotes — Quick Capture Comparison
SideNotes docks a note panel to your screen edge. Stik gives you a floating post-it with a global shortcut. Both are fast — but Stik is free, open source, and uses plain markdown.
| Feature | Stik | SideNotes |
|---|---|---|
| Global keyboard shortcut | ⌘⇧S — works from any app | Customizable hotkey |
| Note format | Plain markdown (.md) files | Proprietary format (internal DB) |
| Local-first storage | Yes — ~/Documents/Stik/ | Yes — local storage |
| Note display | Floating post-it overlay | Side panel docked to screen edge |
| Export & portability | Notes are already .md files — no export needed | Limited export options |
| On-device AI search | Yes — semantic search, smart folders | No |
| Open source | Yes — MIT license | No — proprietary |
| Price | Free | $19.99 for the current major version |
| Multi-format notes (images, files) | Markdown, images, and wiki links | Yes — images, files, code snippets |
| 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
SideNotes is a well-designed side-panel note app. Its screen-edge dock is clever, and it supports rich content like images and code snippets. At $19.99, it's not expensive.
Stik takes a different approach: instead of a permanent side panel, you get a floating post-it that appears only when you need it. Press ⌘⇧S, type, close — zero visual clutter when you're not capturing.
The key differences: Stik saves notes as plain markdown files you fully own (no proprietary database), includes on-device AI for semantic search and smart folders, and is completely free and open source.
If you want a side-panel organizer with rich media, SideNotes is solid. If you want the fastest possible capture with full file ownership and AI-powered search, Stik is the better choice.
Try Stik free
Download Stik and start capturing thoughts in with the global shortcut. Free, open source, no account required.
Download Stik for MacFree · Apple Silicon · Intel Mac?