If you want a WindowTop alternative because you only need windows pinned, reliably and automatically, PinPoint is a focused option: a global hotkey, colored borders, per-app auto-pin rules, saved pin profiles, and timed unpinning, in an offline app under 14 MB on disk. If you use WindowTop for picture-in-picture, cropping, opacity, click-through, or its dark mode, stay with WindowTop, because PinPoint does not do those things. The right choice depends on which half of WindowTop you actually use.
This page is a fair side by side, built from WindowTop’s own website and PinPoint’s Microsoft Store listing.
Pinning only, done well: hotkey, borders, auto-pin rules, and profiles.
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What does WindowTop do?
WindowTop describes itself as a window manager and productivity tool. Its home page lists:
- Always on Top with “a customizable colored border,” adjustable color and thickness.
- Picture-in-Picture (PiP) and Crop, with interaction inside PiP windows and, since version 5.29, automatic detection of crop regions.
- Auto-Move for PiP, which repositions the PiP window to avoid covering text or images.
- Anchors, one-click buttons that bring windows to focus.
- Opacity control and click-through on transparent windows.
- Dark Mode for apps that do not support it, noted as “Stable on Windows 11. May be unstable on Windows 10.”
- Glass Mode, transparency with adjustable blur, “optimized for NVIDIA GPUs with CUDA acceleration.”
It is free to start, with a Pro version that unlocks advanced features. That is a broad, capable toolkit.
What does PinPoint do?
PinPoint does one job: keeping the right windows on top. From its Microsoft Store listing:
- Pin any window with a customizable global hotkey, and pin as many as you need at once.
- Custom borders in adjustable colors and thicknesses, plus audio feedback on pin and unpin.
- Intelligent Auto-Pinning: choose an app and PinPoint pins it automatically when it launches.
- Workspace Pin Profiles: save sets of pins for contexts and switch with one click.
- Application Exclusion Rules so utility panels or system alerts do not interrupt your focus.
- Timed Countdown Release: unpin a window automatically after a set time.
- Under 14 MB on disk, no cloud dependencies, no account, no telemetry, offline. Windows 10 and 11.
How do WindowTop and PinPoint compare?
| WindowTop | PinPoint | |
|---|---|---|
| Always on top with colored border | Yes | Yes |
| Hotkey pinning | See WindowTop’s docs | Yes, customizable global hotkey |
| Auto-pin an app every time it launches | Not listed on its home page | Yes, Intelligent Auto-Pinning |
| Saved sets of pins (profiles) | Not listed on its home page | Yes, Workspace Pin Profiles |
| Timed unpin | Not listed on its home page | Yes, Timed Countdown Release |
| Picture-in-picture and crop | Yes, with auto crop detection | No |
| Opacity and click-through | Yes | No |
| Dark mode for other apps | Yes (stable on Windows 11) | No |
| Anchors for quick switching | Yes | No |
| Pricing model | Free plus Pro | One-time purchase |
| Privacy | See WindowTop’s policy | Offline, no telemetry, no account |
“Not listed on its home page” means exactly that: we did not find it on WindowTop’s home page. Check WindowTop’s documentation if one of these features decides it for you.
When should I stay with WindowTop?
Stay with WindowTop if any of these are part of your day:
- You watch a video while working and want a cropped, floating PiP window that moves out of the way.
- You trace or compare designs with a semi-transparent window and click-through.
- You need dark mode on apps that do not have it.
- You use Anchors as a faster Alt+Tab on a touchscreen.
PinPoint does none of these. Replacing WindowTop with PinPoint would be a downgrade for you.
If pinning is all you need, PinPoint automates it and stays out of the way.
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When is PinPoint the better fit?
PinPoint fits people whose WindowTop use is mostly “keep this on top,” who want that to happen without thinking:
- The same apps every day. A notes app, a call window, a chart, a reference PDF. Auto-pin rules pin them on launch, so restarts and updates do not undo your setup.
- Different setups for different tasks. Profiles switch a whole set of pins at once, for example from a research layout to a development layout.
- Pins that should not last all day. Timed Countdown Release unpins a window after the task time is up.
- A small, quiet tool. Under 14 MB on disk, offline, no account, no telemetry.
How do I move from WindowTop to PinPoint?
- List what you pin. Note the apps you pin most days, and which ones always go together.
- Install PinPoint from the Microsoft Store and set your global hotkey.
- Add auto-pin rules for the daily apps, choosing a border color for each.
- Group combinations into profiles, one per context.
- Decide what to keep WindowTop for. If you still need PiP or opacity occasionally, keep it installed for that, and turn off its always on top so two tools are not pinning the same windows.
What limits apply to both tools?
Both use Windows’ topmost flag, so both share its limits. A pinned window cannot sit above an exclusive fullscreen game, may go behind other topmost windows such as Remote Desktop, and cannot be pinned over an elevated app unless the tool also runs elevated. Microsoft documents the elevated case on its PowerToys administrator mode page, and our guide on always on top not working covers the rest.
What should I test before I switch?
Try your real day, not a demo. A short checklist that catches most surprises:
- Restart the apps you pin. Close and reopen each one, and confirm it comes back pinned without a hotkey. This is the main reason to pick a rule-based tool.
- Pin over your busiest windows. Put the pinned window over a browser, an editor, and a video call, and make sure the border is easy to see in light and dark themes.
- Check multi-monitor behavior. Move pinned windows between screens and confirm they stay on top on each one.
- Try an elevated app. Open Task Manager and see what happens, so the Windows limit does not surprise you later.
- Watch the resource use. Open Task Manager after an hour and check the memory and CPU of whichever tool you keep.
If you find that you reached for PiP, crop, or opacity during that day, you have your answer: keep WindowTop for those, and decide whether automatic pinning is worth adding on top.
Frequently asked questions
Is PinPoint free?
No. PinPoint is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with no subscription.
Can PinPoint make a window transparent?
No. PinPoint pins windows and marks them with borders. For opacity or click-through, use WindowTop or another tool.
Can I run WindowTop and PinPoint together?
Yes, but let only one of them pin windows, so you are never unsure which tool set a pin.
Does PinPoint work on Windows 10?
Yes. Its Store listing supports Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Try PinPoint
Get PinPoint from the Microsoft Store, see the PinPoint product page, or compare it with the free option in PinPoint vs PowerToys Always On Top.
Keep the right windows on top automatically, with one purchase.
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Microsoft, Windows, and PowerToys are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. WindowTop is the property of its developer. NVIDIA and CUDA are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. PinPoint is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.