Microsoft Sticky Notes alternative: notes in view while you work in the browser
Sticky Notes is the simplest way to leave a little note on your desktop. If you spend your day in the browser, it may fall short. Here's how it differs from NexoPad.
Sticky Notes is Microsoft's sticky notes app. It's free, very simple, and lots of people use it to keep a to-do list or a detail they need several times a day in view.
The trouble starts when almost all your work happens in the browser: your notes sit on the desktop, behind the Chrome window, and you can't search them from the site you're on. Here we compare Sticky Notes with NexoPad, which keeps your notes inside your browser.
What Sticky Notes does well (and where it falls short)
The good: it comes from Microsoft, it's free and it's very easy. You open a note, type, and it stays on your Windows desktop. If you sign in with your Microsoft account, your notes sync and you can also see them in the OneNote app for Android and iOS.
There are now two versions: a new one that lives inside the OneNote app for Windows, and the classic app, which is still available. On some work computers you can't use the new one, for example if IT blocks it with an Intune policy or if you have an Office LTSC license.
What gets in the way when you work in the browser: your notes are separate from the page you're working on and get hidden behind the Chrome window. You can't search them from a website. It's easy to end up with a pile of notes you no longer look at. And the desktop app is Windows-only: on Mac you have Stickies, which keeps notes on that Mac only.
If you just want to learn how to use sticky notes on Windows and Mac, we explain it step by step in desktop sticky notes. Here we focus on the comparison.
Comparison table
| Microsoft Sticky Notes | NexoPad | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your notes live | On the Windows desktop (the new version, inside the OneNote app) | Inside your browser: popup, side panel, Notebook and floating Post-it (a browser window) |
| Devices | Windows; on your phone, through the OneNote app for Android and iOS. No desktop app for Mac | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Brave on Windows, Mac and Linux. No mobile app |
| Search | Inside the app; not from the website you're working on | In the Notebook and from any site with Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on Mac) |
| Reminders | Not in the classic app | Yes: once, daily, weekly or monthly, with a High priority option |
| Sharing with your team | Designed for personal notes | With the Teams plan, in the team vault |
| Price | Free, from Microsoft | Free plan (up to 15 notes), Pro ($7/month or $49/year, up to 1,000 items) and Teams ($12 per user per month) |
How NexoPad notes work
Say Laura Gómez at Brightline has the product meeting on Thursday. She presses Alt+S on any page, creates the note Product meeting (Thursday) with the attendees and decisions, and saves it to her Work folder.
During the meeting she wants it in front of her, so she clicks Open as floating Post-it. The note opens in a small window that she places in a corner of the screen while she keeps working in the browser. What she types is saved automatically.
To be clear: that Post-it is a browser window, not a note on the Windows desktop. It closes when you close Chrome. The note isn't lost: open it again and click Open as floating Post-it once more.
To organize everything calmly there's the Notebook (Alt+Q), with folders, pinned notes and search. If a week later Laura can't remember what was decided, she presses Ctrl+K on whatever site she's on, types a word and the note appears. She can also add a reminder or turn it into a text shortcut. You'll find every option in the guide to taking and organizing notes in your browser.
When to choose each
Choose Sticky Notes if…
You want notes stuck to your Windows desktop, with nothing else to open, for free. Above all if you also jot things down on your phone and already use OneNote or your Microsoft account.
Choose NexoPad if…
You spend your day in the browser and want your notes next to the page, sorted into folders, searchable from any site and with reminders. Also if you use a Mac, Linux or several browsers.
Getting started with NexoPad
Install NexoPad and sign in
It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Brave. You don't need to give up Sticky Notes: you can use both.
Create your first note with Alt+S
Press Alt+S on any page, write the note and save it to a folder, for example Work.
Open it as a Post-it
Click Open as floating Post-it and put the small window wherever suits you. Remember it closes when you close the browser.
Add a reminder or search for it
Use the bell to add a reminder, and press Ctrl+K on any site to find the note without switching tabs.
FAQ
Is Sticky Notes free?
Yes. It's a free Microsoft app. If you sign in with your Microsoft account, your notes sync and you can see them in the OneNote app on your phone.
Is there Sticky Notes for Mac?
Not as a desktop app. Macs come with their own app, Stickies, but it keeps notes on that Mac only. NexoPad works the same on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Does the NexoPad Post-it stay on the Windows desktop?
No. It's a browser window and closes when you close Chrome. Your note stays saved and you can open it as a Post-it again whenever you like.
Does NexoPad have a mobile app?
No. If you mostly take notes on your phone, Sticky Notes with OneNote will suit you better. NexoPad also doesn't have checkboxes for ticking off tasks.
How many notes can I save for free, and what other alternatives are there?
NexoPad's free plan includes up to 15 notes, and Pro up to 1,000 items. For more options, see the Google Keep alternative or our list of note-taking extensions.
Updated on October 20, 20266 min read
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