Open from your menu bar
Click the menu bar icon or press your global shortcut. Your note stays above other windows, ready while you read or work.
MARKDOWN NOTES IN YOUR MAC MENU BAR
Mac notes. One click away.
Capture ideas, make a checklist, or save a few lines of code from your menu bar. Keep notes above other windows and across Mac desktops, then let them fold into a floating icon when you switch apps. Works offline. No account needed.
Free · macOS 14 or later · Optional one-time Pro upgrade
Lives in your menu bar
Markdown, made simple
Stays on your Mac
Quick notes, with room for the details.
Open PINote from the menu bar or press ⌥⌘N — or pick a shortcut of your own. Write plain text when that is enough; add Markdown structure when the details matter.
Write with Markdown
Headings, checklists, links, tables, code, and math. Structure when you want it, out of the way when you don’t.
Keep notes on your Mac
Your notes live on your Mac, not on a PINote server. There is no account to create and no cloud service to connect.
Find a note. Make room to write.
Resize the window to fit the task. Open the note list to find a note, then hide it and give your words the space.
CLOSE AT HAND, OUT OF THE WAY
Keep it close. Fold it away.
Keep your note above other windows, across Mac desktops and alongside full-screen apps. Enable auto-collapse to make room for your work, then click the floating icon to return to the same page.
Above windows, across desktops
Keep a note in sight while you research, meet, or follow a checklist. Drag it where it feels right and resize it to fit.
Switch apps. Let your note fold away.
In Settings → Quick Open, enable auto-collapse on focus loss. Switching apps then folds your note into a floating icon on screen.
One click, back to your writing
Drag the floating icon wherever you like, then click to restore your note. You can also close the window manually and reopen it from the menu bar.
Try it below: move the window, click the desktop to collapse, then click the icon to restore
Opening editor…
AN EDITOR THAT KEEPS UP
Structure, the moment you need it.
Type the way you normally do. When a note needs more, the tools are a keystroke away — and every one of them is included in the free version.
Type / to insert anything
Add headings, lists, task lists, quotes, code blocks, tables, dividers, images, files, or equations from a single menu.
Markdown as you type
Type # and a space for a heading, - for a list, [ ] for a task, or ``` for a code block. Formatting appears as you write.
Move ideas around
Drag a block by its handle to reorder a note. Click the handle to move it up or down, duplicate it, delete it, or turn it into another type.
Math, written in LaTeX
Insert inline or block equations, write them in LaTeX, and see them rendered right in your note.
Attachments that open in place
Paste or drop in images and files. Preview PDFs, audio, and video without leaving PINote; other files open with Quick Look.
Markdown in, Markdown out
Import existing .md files, export a note with its attachments, or copy it as Markdown or plain text.
THE LITTLE THINGS
Make yourself at home.
A comfortable line length. A shortcut you remember. A note pinned where you can find it. Small choices that make everyday writing easier.
Your kind of typography
Choose a system, serif, or monospaced font and a text size. Adjust line height, paragraph spacing, and content width until the rhythm feels right.
Light, dark, or your Mac
Follow your Mac’s appearance or choose light or dark. Pick a standard, soft, or high-contrast editor theme and a note list density.
A shortcut that feels right
⌥⌘N shows or hides your notes and ⌥⌘S toggles the note list. Change either one to whatever your fingers remember.
Keep the useful ones close
Pin notes, drag to reorder, rename in the list, or duplicate a note to start from something familiar.
Cleaner links when you paste
Remove common tracking parameters when you paste web links. Turn this off in Editor settings whenever you need the original URL.
Controls that step aside
Hover near the top for the window title and controls, or near the bottom for the note list and copy buttons. They fade when you move away; the note’s own heading stays put.
YOUR NOTES, YOUR WAY
Keep your ideas. Keep your options.
Your notes should fit into your life. Add the details you need, find them again, and take them with you.
How storage and sync workMore than words
Keep images and files right next to the words they belong with.
Find that thought
Search every note by title, text, or attachment name, or use Find and Replace inside the note you are writing.
Take your words with you
Export Markdown and create portable backups. With Pro, sync notes with a folder you choose.
A LITTLE MORE ROOM
Free to start. Pro when you need it.
Every editing feature is free. Upgrade once when you need more than 9 notes or want to sync with a folder.
Free
For your everyday essentials
$0
No account needed
- Up to 9 notes
- The full Markdown editor, math included
- Search, attachments, import, and export
- Local storage and portable backups
PINote Pro
Early-bird price
US$3.99
Regular price US$19.90
One-time purchase. No subscription.
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited notes
- Sync with a folder you choose
- Family Sharing included
- 14-day trial available in the app
Prices shown are in USD. Local prices are displayed in the App Store. Purchase in PINote → Settings → PINote Pro; Apple handles payment.
Start the trial whenever you like, with no payment and no automatic renewal. When it ends, your existing notes stay readable and editable; going beyond 9 notes and folder sync require Pro.
Where do my notes live?
On your Mac. PINote stores notes and attachments locally and does not upload them to a PINote server. You choose where to export, back up, or sync your files.
Do I need an account or an internet connection?
No PINote account is required, and you can read and write your notes offline. Downloading the app, buying or restoring Pro, and third-party folder syncing may need an internet connection.
Is PINote free?
Yes. The free version keeps up to 9 notes and includes the full editor, search, attachments, import, export, and backups. PINote Pro is a one-time in-app purchase that unlocks unlimited notes and folder sync, with Family Sharing. You can start a 14-day Pro trial in Settings. Pro is US$3.99 with the early-bird offer, with a regular price of US$19.90. Pay once, with no subscription; local App Store prices apply.
Can I sync my notes?
With Pro, you can sync Markdown notes with a folder you choose. That can be a local folder or one managed by a third-party sync service. PINote does not run its own cloud sync service.
Is there an iPhone, iPad, or web version?
Not at the moment — PINote is a Mac app. If you sync with a folder in a service such as iCloud Drive, other apps on your other devices can open those Markdown files, but PINote itself runs only on Mac.
Can I bring in my existing Markdown notes?
Yes. With the PINote window active, press ⇧⌘O or choose File → Import… to import up to 100 .md files at once; each file becomes a note. The free version’s 9-note limit applies. To take notes elsewhere, export Markdown or copy a note as Markdown or plain text.
Which Macs does it work on?
PINote requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and supports Macs with Apple silicon or Intel processors. You can check compatibility for your device on the Mac App Store.
Which languages does PINote support?
The app is available in English and Simplified Chinese. It follows your Mac’s language by default; choose another in Settings → General and the change applies right away.
I opened PINote. Where is the window?
Look for the PINote icon in your Mac’s menu bar and click it to open your notes. PINote is a menu bar app, so it does not appear in the Dock. You can also press ⌥⌘N from any app, or choose a different shortcut in Settings.
GO A LITTLE FURTHER
Guides for the way you actually take notes.
Get started in the menu bar
Install PINote, find the icon, write the first note, and set a global shortcut.
Write with the Markdown editor
Slash commands, tasks, LaTeX, images, and attachments — all included in the free version.
Three Markdown templates
Download a weekly plan, meeting notes, or a release checklist and make it yours.
Where your notes live
See what stays on your Mac, what an export includes, and how a backup differs from folder sync.
Keyboard shortcuts
Show or hide the window, format Markdown, import, export, and open Trash.
Choose a Mac notes app
Menu-bar capture, a writing library, or linked notes? Compare the jobs each app is built for.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
Write it down. Get back to work.
Open PINote from the menu bar, catch the thought, and return to what you were doing.
Download on the Mac App StoreFree · macOS 14 or later · Optional one-time Pro upgrade