A scratchpad that stays on top of whatever you're doing.
Press ⌥ Space from any app and start typing. Float sits above full-screen editors, browsers, and calls, and saves every note as a plain Markdown file on your Mac.
Free to use · Pro unlock $4.99, once · macOS 11+ · Open source (MIT)
This one is live.
Click a checkbox, type a line, press /. It is the real app running in your browser.
Always on top
Stop alt-tabbing to take a note.
Pin Float with ⌥ P and it floats above full-screen Xcode, Figma, your browser, or a video call. It follows you across Spaces and monitors, and gets out of the way with Esc.
Button radius 12 → 10
Ask about empty state
Check contrast on CTA
Type, don't format
Markdown that renders as you write.
No edit and preview toggle. Headings, checklists, and code render live in the same line you are typing in. Press / for todos, headings, callouts, and code blocks; finish a sum with = and Float answers it inline.
# Tuesday standup
Review the auth PR
Ship the release notes
Budget left: 1200 - 15% of 1200 = 1020
/
Plain files, no lock-in
Your notes are .md files in a folder you choose.
Float writes to ~/Documents/Float by default, or point it at your Obsidian vault. No account, no sync server, nothing leaves your Mac. Delete the app and your notes are still there.
- standup.mdToday, 09:121 KB
- release-checklist.mdToday, 08:402 KB
- ideas.mdYesterday6 KB
- architecture-notes.mdMon14 KB
Also in the box
The small things, done properly.
Summon has no animation on purpose. For something you open 100 times a day, a fade is lag.
- Inline maths: 45 * 12 = answers itself
- ⌘ K palette for everything else
- Up to 3 note tabs, unlimited with Pro
- Two themes free, all six with Pro
- Voice dictation with ⌥ DPro
- Ghost mode: see through the windowPro
- Shareable image cards in one keystrokePro
- Zen mode hides every controlPro
- Custom notes folder, such as an Obsidian vaultPro
Shortcuts
Hands stay on the keyboard.
| Summon or dismiss | ⌥ Space |
| Pin on top | ⌥ P |
| Slash commands | / |
| Command palette | ⌘ K |
| New note | ⌘ N |
| Switch note | ⌘ 1 – 9 |
| Image card | ⌘⇧ E |
| Dictate | ⌥ D |
| Ghost mode | ⌥ [ ⌥ ] |
| Zen mode | ⌘⇧ F |
| Inline maths | = |
| Close | Esc |
15 seconds
Summon, write, pin, done.
Sound on. The clicks you hear are the ones the app makes.
Pricing
Free to use. $4.99 to unlock Pro.
One payment, no subscription, every Mac you own. The code is MIT-licensed on GitHub.
Float
$0- ⌥ Space summon and pin on top
- Live Markdown and slash commands
- Inline maths and ⌘ K palette
- Plain .md files in ~/Documents/Float
- 3 note tabs, two themes
- Signed, notarised, auto-updating
Float Pro
- All six themes
- Unlimited notes
- Image cards
- Voice dictation
- Ghost mode
- Zen mode
- Custom notes folder
- 14-day refund, no questions
Key arrives by email. Paste it in the app under Settings. Checkout and tax by Dodo Payments.
Questions
Before you buy.
Which Macs does Float run on?
Apple Silicon Macs (M1 or later) on macOS 11 Big Sur or newer. There is no Intel build yet. If you need one, open an issue on GitHub and I will prioritise it by demand.
Is the app signed?
Yes. Releases are signed with my Apple Developer ID (Rohith Gilla) and submitted to Apple for notarisation as part of the release pipeline, so macOS opens them without a warning.
Where are my notes stored?
As plain .md files in ~/Documents/Float, or any folder you choose in Settings. No account, no sync server, nothing leaves your Mac. Open the same files in Obsidian, VS Code, or iA Writer.
What is free and what is Pro?
Free gives you the whole writing experience: summon, pin, live Markdown, slash commands, inline maths, ⌘K, plain-file storage, and 3 note tabs. Pro adds unlimited tabs, all six themes, image cards, dictation, ghost mode, zen mode, and a custom notes folder. One payment, every Mac you own.
Can I build it myself?
Yes. The whole app is MIT-licensed on GitHub. Clone it and build with Rust, Node, and Xcode. The licence check is in the source too, so do with it what you like; buying Pro is how you support the project.
Is Pro a subscription?
No. One payment, one licence, yours for good, including updates. Dodo Payments handles checkout and tax as merchant of record.
What if Pro is not for me?
Ask within 14 days of purchase and you get a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy in the footer.
Float is built and maintained by Rohith Gilla, a software engineer who got tired of losing meeting notes to the wrong window. Every line of it is in the open.
From the blog
Guides for Mac note-takers.
The Best Floating Notes Apps for macOS in 2026 (Why Native Stickies Falls Short)
Looking for a modern, always-on-top floating scratchpad for Mac? We compared Apple Stickies, Raycast Notes, Tot, SideNotes, and Float to find the fastest desktop note companion.
How to Keep Sticky Notes Always on Top Over Full-Screen Apps on Mac
Learn why Apple Stickies "Float on Top" disappears in full-screen mode on macOS, and how to keep your notes permanently pinned above full-screen apps and video calls.
Building the Ultimate Obsidian Quick-Capture Scratchpad on macOS
Stop waiting for Obsidian to load just to write a fleeting thought. Discover how to connect Float to your Obsidian vault for instantaneous, local-first markdown capture.