Originally published on PinSlip.app: Windows Sticky Notes Alternative: Why I Built PinSlip
Windows Sticky Notes is probably one of the simplest productivity tools on Windows.
Open a note, type something, leave it on your desktop, and get back to work.
I used it for exactly that reason.
I didn't want a complicated note-taking system. I just wanted somewhere to put things I needed to see while I was working: a TODO, a command I would need again in ten minutes, a link, a small piece of text, or something I didn't want to forget.
But after using desktop sticky notes for a long time, I gradually built up a list of things I wished they could do.
I wanted Markdown.
I wanted better ways to organize a growing pile of notes.
I wanted my notes to be ordinary files that I could control myself.
And most importantly, I wanted sticky notes to remain what I liked about them in the first place:
small pieces of information that stay right where I'm working.
I looked at other note-taking tools, but most of them felt like they were trying to solve a different problem.
So eventually, I built my own Windows Sticky Notes alternative.
It's called PinSlip.
I Didn't Want Another Knowledge Management App
There are already many powerful note-taking apps.
They can build knowledge bases, connect ideas, manage large collections of documents, and become a central place for almost everything you write.
That's useful.
But it wasn't what I was looking for.
When I'm coding, researching, or just working on something at my computer, I often need information for right now.
For example:
- a command I'm about to run;
- a TODO I don't want to forget;
- a temporary URL;
- a short checklist;
- some text I'm repeatedly copying;
- an idea I want to deal with later. I don't want to open a knowledge base, navigate to a page, decide where the information belongs, and then switch back to what I was doing. I want to write it down and leave it next to my work. That's the workflow I wanted PinSlip to preserve. Capture now. Organize later.
The First Requirement Was Simple: Keep Notes Visible
The biggest reason I use desktop sticky notes instead of a traditional notes app is visibility.
A note hidden inside another application is something I have to remember to look at.
A note sitting next to the thing I'm working on is much harder to forget.
That's a small difference, but for me it changes how notes work.
A sticky note isn't necessarily somewhere I permanently store knowledge.
Sometimes it's simply part of my current workspace.
So PinSlip was designed around actual desktop notes. You can keep several notes visible, resize them, collapse them when you need more space, and move them around your desktop.
As the number of notes grows, they can also snap together into magnetic groups.
I wanted them to behave less like documents and more like physical pieces of paper sitting on a desk.
Then I Wanted Markdown — Without Turning It Into a Markdown Editor
Plain text is enough for many sticky notes.
But not all of them.
I frequently write things like:
- TODO lists
- headings
- commands
- links
- short structured notes
- code snippets Markdown is already how I naturally format this kind of information. So PinSlip supports Markdown and rich formatting directly inside a sticky note. The important part for me wasn't simply being able to say "it supports Markdown." It was keeping the experience lightweight. A sticky note should still feel like something I can open, type into immediately, and forget about until I need it. Markdown is there when it's useful. It doesn't need to become the purpose of the application.
My Notes Should Be My Files
This eventually became one of the most important design decisions in PinSlip.
I didn't want my notes trapped inside an application database.
Every PinSlip note is stored locally as a Markdown file in a folder you choose.
That means I can open the folder myself.
I can copy it.
I can back it up.
I can search it with other tools.
I can open the Markdown files in another editor.
And if I stop using PinSlip one day, the notes are still there.
There's no special export process required just to get my own text back.
For something as simple and personal as a sticky note, that feels right to me.
PinSlip is local-first for the same reason.
You don't need an account to start writing notes, and your notes don't need to leave your computer just because you installed a sticky notes app.
But Sticky Notes Eventually Become a Mess
There's an obvious problem with making sticky notes easy to create:
Eventually, you create a lot of them.
At first, having five notes scattered around the desktop is convenient.
Having fifty is a different story.
I didn't want to solve this by turning PinSlip into a complex notebook system, so I added a few simple ways to bring order back when you need it.
Notes can have tags.
They can live in folders.
You can search their titles, content, and tags.
And related notes can be visually grouped together on the desktop.
The idea is still the same:
You shouldn't have to organize every thought before you're allowed to write it down.
Capture first.
Organize when organization becomes useful.
Local Files Led to Git Sync
Once PinSlip notes were just files, another idea became fairly obvious.
Why not sync them with Git?
This is admittedly a more developer-oriented feature.
But I'm a developer, and PinSlip started as a tool I wanted to use myself.
So PinSlip can connect to a Git repository and synchronize notes between machines.
You don't need a separate Git installation just to use the feature.
For people who already understand Git, it provides a fairly transparent way to control where their notes are synchronized and keep a history of changes.
For everyone else, Git sync is optional.
PinSlip works perfectly well as a completely local sticky notes app.
And Local Notes Turned Out to Work Well With AI Too
This wasn't part of my original reason for building a Windows Sticky Notes alternative.
It came later.
Once my notes were local, structured files, I realized they were also useful context for AI assistants.
So PinSlip now includes an MCP server.
Compatible AI assistants can search, read, create, and update PinSlip notes when you choose to connect them.
For example, I can ask an AI assistant to find something I've written down, create a note for something I need to remember, or work with information already sitting in my notes.
I don't see this as turning PinSlip into an "AI notes app."
The sticky notes are still the product.
MCP is simply another way to interact with them.
That's an important distinction for me.
So How Is PinSlip Different From Windows Sticky Notes?
I don't think Windows Sticky Notes is a bad application.
Actually, if all you need is a simple place to write short notes on Windows, there's a good chance you don't need to replace it.
PinSlip exists because I wanted a different kind of workflow.
| - | Windows Sticky Notes | PinSlip |
| :------------------------- | :------------------- | :------ |
| Quick desktop notes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rich text formatting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Markdown | — | ✓ |
| Local Markdown files | — | ✓ |
| Tags and folders | — | ✓ |
| Magnetic note groups | — | ✓ |
| Git sync | — | ✓ |
| AI integration through MCP | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS and Linux | — | ✓ |
This isn't meant to say that every PinSlip feature is something everyone needs.
If you just want to type "buy milk" into a yellow note, additional features don't necessarily make that note better.
But if you like the simplicity of desktop sticky notes and wish they could grow a little further with your workflow, that's where PinSlip fits.
Who Is PinSlip For?
PinSlip might be worth trying if you:
- like keeping notes visible while you work;
- regularly keep TODOs, commands, links or temporary information on your desktop;
- want Markdown inside your sticky notes;
- prefer keeping your notes as local files;
- need folders, tags and search once your notes start accumulating;
- want to sync notes through your own Git repository;
- or want your AI tools to be able to work with your local notes. On the other hand, if Windows Sticky Notes already does everything you need, there's no reason to switch just for the sake of switching. That's not the problem I'm trying to solve.
Why I Built PinSlip
PinSlip didn't start with the idea that the world needed another note-taking app.
It started because I wanted a slightly different sticky note.
Then I added Markdown.
Then local files.
Then organization.
Then Git sync.
Then MCP.
Somewhere along the way, the little tool I built for myself became something other people started downloading too.
But I still try to use the same question when deciding what belongs in PinSlip:
Does this make desktop sticky notes more useful without losing what makes sticky notes useful in the first place?
I don't want PinSlip to become a giant productivity system.
I don't want you to have to learn a methodology before writing a note.
I still want it to feel like a sticky note.
Just a more capable one.
Try PinSlip
If you're looking for a Windows Sticky Notes alternative and this sounds closer to how you want desktop notes to work, you can try PinSlip for free.
PinSlip is free and open source, and it's available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Try Pinslip!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PinSlip a free Windows Sticky Notes alternative?
Yes. PinSlip is free and open source. You can download and use it without a subscription or account.
Does PinSlip work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes. PinSlip supports 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Is PinSlip only available for Windows?
No. PinSlip is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Does PinSlip support Markdown?
Yes. PinSlip supports Markdown along with rich text formatting, task lists, images, links, code blocks, and other common formatting.
Where does PinSlip store my notes?
PinSlip stores notes locally on your computer as Markdown files. You choose the storage location.
Do I need an account to use PinSlip?
No. PinSlip can be used locally without creating an account.
Can I sync PinSlip notes between computers?
Yes. PinSlip supports Git-based synchronization. You can connect a Git remote and synchronize your notes between machines.
Can I use PinSlip completely offline?
Yes. PinSlip's core note-taking features work locally and don't require an internet connection.
Is PinSlip open source?
Yes. PinSlip is open source and its source code is available on GitHub.
Does PinSlip replace Windows Sticky Notes?
It can, but it doesn't need to. If Windows Sticky Notes already gives you everything you need, there's little reason to switch. PinSlip is designed for people who want desktop sticky notes with features such as Markdown, local file storage, folders, tags, Git sync, and optional AI integration.
Top comments (1)
Building a local-first sticky notes app with Git sync and an MCP server just because you wanted Markdown on your desktop is the most gloriously over-engineered solution to a simple problem, and I am absolutely here for it.