Stik for MAC
Free, open-source quick-capture notes for Mac: press a shortcut, type in a floating post-it, and your thought is saved as a Markdown file.
Stik Overview
Stik is a quick-capture note app for macOS. Press Cmd+Shift+S from any app and a floating post-it appears. Type your thought, close it, and you are back at work. Every note is saved as a plain Markdown file in ~/Documents/Stik/, with no account and no sync setup. Folders in Stik are real folders on disk, so you can open, move or back up your notes with any other tool.
Beyond capture, Stik has dictation that runs on your Mac, on-device semantic search, encrypted notes, and in version 0.9.0 a full editor for longer writing. It is made by Massi and is free and open source under the MIT license, with no premium tier, subscription or in-app purchase. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and has separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel. On first launch it asks for Accessibility permission, which it needs for its global shortcuts. Back up your notes before upgrading from an older version, as the project advises. Remote images in notes are blocked by default and analytics is opt-in.
Key Features
Stik catches a thought before it disappears.
- Instant capture: a global shortcut opens a floating post-it over any app.
- Plain Markdown: every note is a .md file you own.
- Voice: dictation with WhisperKit, and the audio never leaves your Mac.
- Clip: append selected text from another app to a Clips note.
- Semantic search: find notes by meaning, on your Mac, with no cloud.
- Locked notes: AES-256 encryption, opened with Touch ID or your password.
- Sync your way: iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Syncthing or a git remote.
- Rich editor: wiki-links, task lists, tables, templates and a Vim mode.
What’s New in Version 0.9.0
Stik 0.9.0 adds a dedicated editor for longer notes, recoverable deletion and more reliable saves.
- Full editor: browse, search and edit notes in a dedicated window
- Trash: restore deleted notes without overwriting another file
- Vault Health: check storage access and differences between files and the search index
- Simplified Chinese: choose English, Chinese or the system language
- Readable filenames: an optional setting for new notes
- Faster search, and capture now gets startup priority
Stik FAQ
Is Stik free?
Yes. Stik is free and open source under the MIT license. It has no premium tier, subscription or in-app purchase.
Which macOS version does Stik need?
Stik 0.9.0 needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Does Stik run on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs?
Yes. There are separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel.
How do I capture a note in Stik?
Press Cmd+Shift+S from any app, type your thought and close the post-it. The note is saved automatically. All shortcuts can be changed in Settings.
Where does Stik store my notes?
As plain Markdown files in ~/Documents/Stik/. Each folder in Stik is a real folder on disk, and you can choose another notes directory in Settings.
Do I need an account to use Stik?
No Stik account is needed. Optional iCloud Drive sync needs an Apple Account, Git sharing sends files to the host you choose, and update checks use the network.
Is voice dictation in Stik private?
Dictation uses WhisperKit, which runs the model on the Neural Engine, so the audio never leaves your Mac.
Can I lock notes in Stik?
Yes. You can encrypt a note with AES-256 and open it with Touch ID or your device password. Export your recovery key from Settings and keep it somewhere safe.
Can I install Stik with Homebrew?
Yes, from the project’s own tap. Run brew install --cask 0xMassi/stik/stik.
Where does the Stik download on stik.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Stik download page at https://www.stik.ink/download. stik.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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FULLMAC.app does not host this app. Download buttons lead to the developer’s own pages.