Better Stickies vs Microsoft Sticky Notes: Complete Comparison (2026)
Microsoft Sticky Notes is the better pick if you live in Outlook and want notes synced through a Microsoft account. BetterStickies is the better pick if you use Linux, want notes that hold screenshots, files, and code, or want notes that never touch a cloud.
Overview
BetterStickies is a sticky notes app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is free to use with a 4-note limit, works entirely offline, and stores every note on the local disk. Notes can hold pasted screenshots and files, code blocks, nested checklists, and image or animated GIF backgrounds, and each note can carry up to three pages behind tabs.
Microsoft Sticky Notes comes pre-installed on Windows 10 and 11. Notes hold text with light formatting and pictures, come in a set of preset colors, and sync through a Microsoft account, so they also show up in Outlook on the web.
Platform Support
BetterStickies runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux. On Linux it is tested on KDE Plasma, GNOME, and Cinnamon, across Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch, Mint, and Zorin. (For the other Linux options, see Best Sticky Notes Apps for Linux.)
Microsoft Sticky Notes is a Windows-only desktop app. On other computers, the same notes can be read and edited in a browser through the Notes folder in Outlook on the web, signed in with a Microsoft account. There is no macOS or Linux app, so the notes stay in a browser tab rather than on the desktop.
Privacy and Data Storage
BetterStickies stores all notes locally. No account, no cloud sync, no telemetry. Notes leave the machine only when you export them.
Microsoft Sticky Notes stores notes locally too, but sync (and the Outlook and OneNote integration that makes the app useful) requires signing in, after which the note text lives on Microsoft's servers as well. That is a fine trade for many people and the wrong one for anyone keeping work notes off third-party servers.
Customization
BetterStickies:
- Custom backgrounds: solid colors, images, and animated GIFs, per note
- Rich text: titles, nested todo checklists, links, and highlights, plus pasted Markdown and rich text (from web pages, emails, and documents) that keep their formatting
- Per-note settings: opacity from 1% to 100%, font size from 8pt to 72pt, line spacing from 100% to 200%, and a 40-color grid or any hex value
- Resizable notes with snap-to-grid placement
- Collapsible notes and hover previews for pasted images and PDFs
- Remappable keyboard shortcuts
Microsoft Sticky Notes:
- Preset colors, no custom backgrounds
- Basic text formatting: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, bullet lists
- Notes resize and move freely
Features Comparison
| Feature | BetterStickies | Microsoft Sticky Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (Premium: $7.99 one-time) | Free |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| Linux | Yes | No |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Yes (sync needs a Microsoft account) |
| Cloud Sync | No | Yes (Microsoft account) |
| Rich Text | Titles, lists, highlights, Markdown and rich text paste | Basic formatting |
| Custom Backgrounds | Solid, image, GIF | Preset colors |
| Images in notes | Paste screenshots, images, files | Pictures |
| Keep a note on top | Yes | Newer version only (pin a popped-out note) |
| Note tabs (pages per note) | Up to 3 | No |
| Nested notes | Yes | No |
| Search | Yes | Yes |
| Outlook integration | No | Yes |
When to Choose Microsoft Sticky Notes
Microsoft Sticky Notes makes sense if you:
- Only use Windows and don't plan to switch
- Want notes synced across devices via your Microsoft account
- Use Outlook and want notes to surface next to your email
- Prefer a zero-setup app that ships with the OS
When to Choose BetterStickies
BetterStickies is the better choice if you:
- Use Linux or a Mac, or switch between operating systems
- Paste screenshots, files, or code into notes, not just text
- Want your notes to stay on your own disk
- Want backgrounds, nested checklists, and tabs, not a handful of preset colors
- Want to search every page of every note, including hidden ones
The Verdict
Microsoft Sticky Notes is the right call if your notes need to follow your Microsoft account into Outlook and onto other devices. That, and coming preinstalled with nothing to set up, is where it leads. For notes that stay on your own disk, hold screenshots and code, and work on macOS and Linux as well as Windows, BetterStickies does more, and the free version is enough to find out.
FAQ
Is BetterStickies really free?
The free version is free to use: 4 notes, with no ads, no signup, and no time limit. Notes are the only thing it limits, and each extra tab inside a note counts as one of the four. An optional Premium unlock (currently $7.99, one-time) removes the note limit. There is no subscription.
Can I migrate my notes from Microsoft Sticky Notes to BetterStickies?
There's no one-click importer yet. In practice, sticky notes are short, so most users copy their active notes across by hand in a few minutes. BetterStickies pastes anything, including text, links, and screenshots, which makes the move quick.
Does BetterStickies work offline?
Yes. Creating, editing, and searching notes never needs an internet connection, and every note is stored on your own computer.
Does Microsoft Sticky Notes work on Mac?
Not as a Mac app. Mac users can reach their notes in a browser through the Notes folder in Outlook on the web, with a Microsoft account and an internet connection. BetterStickies has a native macOS version alongside Windows and Linux.
Which app is better for privacy?
BetterStickies keeps every note on your computer and needs no account. Microsoft Sticky Notes also stores notes locally, but once you sign in to sync, a copy lives on Microsoft's servers too.