Side by side
Checked October 16, 2026, from each app's own website.
| Simple Sticky Notes | stickies.lol | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, also for work | $4.99 once, up to 3 PCs, 7-day free trial |
| Windows | 11 and 10; download sites also list 7 and 8 | 11 and 10, 64-bit |
| Where notes live on screen | On the desktop, each in its own window | Docked at the screen edge; pop out any note |
| Alarms | Yes, with snooze and daily repeat | No |
| Checklists | Yes, with nested items | Yes (/todo), and /clean clears done items |
| Lock | A "Lock Note" option; its help pages don't say if it uses a password | PIN lock with encryption and a recovery key |
| Encryption | Not mentioned on its site | Every note (Windows DPAPI) |
| Backups | Backup file; restoring replaces all current notes | Backup file; restoring asks which version to keep |
| Sync between PCs | No | No |
| Templates and quick math | No | Yes (/standup, /meeting, /calc) |
Pick Simple Sticky Notes if…
- you don't want to pay;
- you need alarms;
- you want a tiny app (the installer is under 3 MB);
- you like notes spread over the desktop, like paper ones on a monitor.
Pick stickies.lol if…
- you want a clear desktop, with notes one mouse move away at the screen edge;
- some notes are private (passwords, bank details), and you want them encrypted and behind a PIN;
- you take notes from the keyboard: Win+Alt+N from any app, then
/commands.
One thing to know about backups
In Simple Sticky Notes, restoring a backup permanently deletes the notes you have now, its help page warns. So save a fresh backup before you restore an old one. In stickies.lol, restoring keeps your current notes and asks which version to keep when a note is in both.
Try stickies.lol free for 7 days
Stickies is $4.99 once for up to 3 PCs. No subscription, no account, and your notes never leave your PC.