How to keep notes above other windows in Windows 11
You want a note to stay visible while you work in another app. The catch: most "solutions" don't actually follow the window you're working in — they just sit in one place. Here are five real options, ranked by what works in 2026.
The five options, ranked
1. Microsoft Sticky Notes — built-in, but not what you want
What it actually does: pins the note relative to the screen, not the application. Move the app you're working in and the note stays put.
Verdict: fine for a to-do list pinned to one screen; not for notes tied to a project.
2. macOS Notes — Keep on Top (Mac only)
On macOS, open a note, click Window in the menu bar, and choose Keep on Top. Same limitation as Microsoft Sticky Notes: it follows the screen, not the application.
Verdict: Mac-only, and doesn't follow the window.
3. WindowTop — pin any window on top, free
WindowTop keeps any window on top of the others. Open a notes app (Notepad, Obsidian, anything), keep it on top with WindowTop, and it stays visible.
It's the closest thing to "what you want" without a dedicated notes app — but it pins a window to the top; it doesn't tie the note to a specific application and move with it.
Verdict: best free general-purpose "keep this window on top" tool. Not notes-specific.
4. Zhorn Stickies / Notezilla — notes that attach to a window
These are the closest to "notes that follow a window."
Zhorn Stickies is free. It attaches notes to a specific window so they show when the window is on screen and hide when it isn't — but doesn't track the window as it moves.
Notezilla is $20 one-time (plus a subscription for sync and mobile). Same idea: attach a note to a window, document, or website, and it reappears when the target opens. Doesn't follow in real time.
Verdict: both handle "notes that reappear with a window," but neither follows it live as you work.
5. Anchored — notes that follow the window, with optional AI
Anchored is the only option here that follows a specific window in real time. Open a note, hit the hotkey (Ctrl+Shift+A), pick a window from the command center, and the note locks to it. Move the window — the note moves. Resize it — the note follows. Send it to another monitor — the note goes too. Close the app and reopen it tomorrow — the note is right where you left it.
Up to six notes per window, docked to any edge. Plus Atlas, a built-in AI that reads the content of the window your note is on — anchor a note to a quarterly report and Atlas reads the quarterly report. Windows 10/11, no account, runs on your machine. Free during early access.
Verdict: use Anchored if you want notes that actually follow the window you're working in, plus an AI that reads what's on screen.
What "above the window" actually means in 2026
"Keep notes above other windows" hides three distinct behaviors:
- Screen-pinned: the note stays in one spot on screen, whatever app is in front. (Microsoft Dock to Desktop, macOS Keep on Top.)
- Z-pinned: the note stays on top of other windows but doesn't follow any specific one. (WindowTop, UpNote Keep on Top.)
- Window-anchored: the note is tied to a specific window — it moves with it, hides when it hides, returns when it returns. (Anchored; Zhorn and Notezilla partially.)
Only option 3 solves the problem most people mean. Options 1 and 2 look right for a few minutes, then the note is stranded.
See how it compares to every app in this category in the full comparison.