Comparison · 2026

Anchored vs Microsoft Sticky Notes, Notezilla, WindowTop, Zhorn & UpNote

Q: Which sticky notes app actually follows the window?

Only Anchored follows a specific window in real time — it moves, resizes, and changes monitors with the window. WindowTop can keep any window on top, but it doesn't track a window as it moves. Notezilla and Zhorn Stickies show and hide notes with a window but don't follow it live.

Q: Is there a sticky notes app with built-in AI?

Anchored has Atlas, a built-in AI assistant that reads the actual content of the window your note is attached to and answers questions about it. It runs on your machine by default. As of July 2026, none of the other apps here (Microsoft Sticky Notes, Notezilla, Zhorn Stickies, UpNote, WindowTop) include an AI that reads the anchored window.

Q: Can I use Anchored without an account?

Yes. Anchored works with no account, no email signup, and no cloud sync by default. All notes are stored locally on your machine. Microsoft Sticky Notes needs a Microsoft account to sync, and Notezilla needs an account for its cloud features.

Q: What's the difference between Anchored and WindowTop?

WindowTop is a window utility that keeps any window always-on-top (z-order) — it does not track a window as it moves, and it is not a notes app. Anchored is a notes app whose notes follow a specific window in real time, plus a built-in AI that reads that window.

Q: Does Microsoft Sticky Notes follow the window when I move it?

No. Microsoft Sticky Notes can be docked to a desktop edge (right-click the note, Dock to Desktop), which fixes its position relative to the screen, not the window. If you move the application you're working in, the sticky note stays put. Anchored tracks the specific window and follows it as it moves, resizes, or changes monitor.

Q: Which sticky notes app is best for Windows 11 in 2026?

It depends on what you need. Microsoft Sticky Notes is the default and fine for quick text notes. Notezilla is best if you want Windows plus mobile sync and don't mind paying. UpNote is the most polished cross-platform Markdown option. Anchored is best if you want notes that actually follow the windows you're working in, with a private AI that reads the window's content.

If you've ever had a sticky note stranded next to a grocery list while you moved the window it was supposed to be tracking, this page is for you. We compared every major sticky-notes and window-pinning tool on Windows, scored them on what actually matters, and told you which to use — including when that's not us.

In this comparison

The quick answer
The full table
Microsoft Sticky Notes
Notezilla
WindowTop
Zhorn Stickies
UpNote
Anchored
Which to use
FAQ

The quick answer

If you want notes that actually follow your window — moving with it, hiding when it hides, coming back when it returns — Anchored is the only app here that does it in real time. WindowTop can keep any window on top, but it doesn't track a window as it moves. Notezilla and Zhorn show and hide notes with a window, but don't follow it live.

If you want a built-in AI that reads your window — answers questions about the spreadsheet, email, or page you're looking at — Anchored is the only one that does it, and it runs on your machine.

For everything else — quick text notes, cross-platform sync, Markdown — the others are genuinely good, and we say so below.

The full comparison

Feature	MS Sticky Notes	Notezilla	WindowTop	Zhorn Stickies	UpNote	Anchored
Price	Free (built in)	$20 one-time¹	Free / $10 lifetime	Free	Free / $1.99 mo²	Free (early access)
Also on Mac / mobile	—	Win + iOS/Android³	Windows only	Windows only	Win/Mac/iOS/Android	Windows only
Attaches a note to a specific window	No⁴	Yes	n/a⁵	Yes	Per-note pin	Yes
Follows the window as it moves, resizes & changes monitor	No	No	No⁶	No	No	Yes
Hides & returns with the window	No	On reopen	No	Yes	No	Yes
Re-anchors after a restart	No	Yes	—	Yes	—	Yes
Up to six notes per window	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
AI that reads the window	No	No	No	No	No	Yes (Atlas)
Private, on-device AI	No	No	No	No	No	Yes⁷
Markdown	No	Yes	—	Yes	Yes	Basic
Works with no account	Sync needs one	Cloud needs one	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Pricing and features verified July 2026 against each vendor's official site; prices and features change, so check the vendor for the latest.
¹ Notezilla: $20 one-time desktop license (no sync). Cloud sync and the mobile apps are a separate yearly subscription. ² UpNote: free up to 50 notes; Premium is $1.99/mo or $39.99 lifetime. ³ Notezilla mobile and sync require the subscription. ⁴ Microsoft Sticky Notes can "Dock to Desktop" (a screen edge), not to a specific app window. ⁵ WindowTop isn't a notes app — it pins any window on top; you bring your own notes app. ⁶ WindowTop keeps a window on top (z-order); it doesn't track a window's position as it moves. ⁷ Anchored's Atlas runs locally via Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, or any OpenAI-compatible server.

Microsoft Sticky Notes

The default on every Windows machine. Free, pre-installed, syncs to your Microsoft account. Good for quick text notes that don't need to follow anything.

Where it wins: already on your computer, and it syncs across devices if you're in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Where it loses: notes don't follow windows. You can dock a note to a screen edge, but the moment you move or resize the app you're working in, the note stays put. No AI, no Markdown, no multi-monitor awareness.

Verdict: use it for the simplest possible text note that syncs to your phone. Don't expect window-following.

Notezilla

The veteran of the "sticky notes with window awareness" category, by Conceptworld. A $20 one-time desktop license, with a separate yearly subscription for cloud sync and the mobile apps. Actively developed, genuinely cross-platform.

Where it wins: real cross-platform (Windows + Android + iOS via the subscription). Notes can be attached to a window, document, or website and reappear when that target opens. Mature product with a long track record.

Where it loses: the note reappears when the window opens, but doesn't follow it in real time as you drag or resize. No AI. Mobile and sync cost extra on top of the base license.

Verdict: a solid pick if you need Windows + mobile sync and don't mind paying for both. Not the one if real-time window-following is what you're after.

WindowTop

Not a notes app — a window utility. It keeps any window (Notepad, a browser, chat, a terminal) always-on-top, with transparency, picture-in-picture, and dark-mode tricks. People reach for it when they want a note "that stays on top" without switching notes apps.

Where it wins: universal — pin anything, not just notes. Lightweight, has a free tier, and Pro is a one-time $10.

Where it loses: it pins a window on top (z-order); it doesn't track a specific window and move with it. And there's no notes workflow built in — you pin an existing app's window. No AI.

Verdict: the best general-purpose "keep this window on top" tool. For notes specifically, you still need a notes app — and Anchored is the one that follows the window.

Zhorn Stickies

Free, lightweight, and focused: stick a note to a window. Notes attach to an application, website, document, or folder, so they show only when that target is on screen. No AI, no Markdown, no cloud, no mobile.

Where it wins: completely free. Notes appear and hide with their target window — the feature most other apps miss. The closest in spirit to Anchored.

Where it loses: it's built to show and hide notes with a window, not to track the window as it moves and resizes. No multi-monitor tracking, no AI, no sync, no mobile.

Verdict: if you want a free, no-frills notes-on-window app and don't need AI or live tracking, Zhorn does the job well. If you want notes that follow the window as you work, Anchored is the upgrade.

UpNote

A polished cross-platform Markdown note app (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux). Strong Markdown, a clean UI, and a per-note "Keep Window on Top." Free up to 50 notes, then $1.99/mo or $39.99 lifetime for Premium.

Where it wins: the best cross-platform Markdown notes app here, with a beautiful UI. The keep-on-top feature is genuinely useful for a single pinned note.

Where it loses: "keep on top" pins a note above other windows — it follows your screen, not a specific app. Move the underlying app and the note stays put. No AI that reads your window.

Verdict: the pick if cross-platform Markdown matters more than window-following. Different job from Anchored.

Anchored

What we built. Notes that attach to a specific window and follow it in real time — moving, resizing, hiding, returning, switching monitors, all of it. Plus Atlas, a private AI that reads the actual content of the window your note is stuck to and answers questions about it. Runs on your machine. Windows 10/11, no account, free during early access.

Where it wins: real window-following, not just pin-on-top. Up to six notes per window, docked to any edge. Multi-monitor. Notes re-anchor after a restart. Atlas reads the window — if your note is on a quarterly report, Atlas reads the quarterly report — and runs locally via Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, or any OpenAI-compatible server.

Where it loses: Windows-only. No mobile. No cloud sync yet (it's on the roadmap). Markdown is basic for now. Smaller community than the veterans — fewer third-party tutorials.

Verdict: use Anchored if what you actually want is notes that follow the window you're working in, plus an AI that reads what you're looking at. It's the only app here that does both. Free during early access.

Which one should you use

The default, no-friction, free thing on Windows: Microsoft Sticky Notes. It's already there.
Windows + mobile + sync, willing to pay: Notezilla.
Pin any window on top, not just notes: WindowTop.
Free, no-frills notes that show/hide with a window: Zhorn Stickies.
Polished cross-platform Markdown: UpNote.
Notes that follow your window in real time, with a private AI that reads it: Anchored.

Try Anchored free

Windows 10/11 · no account · early access. It updates itself from then on.

Get Anchored

Frequently asked questions

Which sticky notes app actually follows the window?
Only Anchored, in real time. WindowTop keeps any window on top but doesn't track it as it moves; Notezilla and Zhorn show/hide notes with a window but don't follow it live.

Is there a sticky notes app with built-in AI?
Anchored has Atlas, a local AI that reads the window your note is anchored to. As of July 2026, none of the others here do this.

Can I use Anchored without an account?
Yes — no account, no email, no cloud by default. Everything stays on your machine.

What's the difference between Anchored and WindowTop?
WindowTop keeps any window on top (z-order) and isn't a notes app. Anchored is a notes app whose notes follow a specific window in real time.

Does Microsoft Sticky Notes follow the window when I move it?
No. It can dock to a screen edge, but it doesn't track the specific window. Move the app, the note stays.

Which sticky notes app is best for Windows 11 in 2026?
Depends: Microsoft Sticky Notes for default simplicity, Notezilla for cross-platform paid, UpNote for Markdown, Anchored for window-following + AI.