Windows doesn’t offer a built-in way for users to make a window always on top. There are many third-party tools for this, but they’re often bloated and clunky. So, let’s take a look at what works well.
While there are a lot of tools out there for making a window stay always on top, a lot of them have been around a long time and don’t work well with modern versions of Windows—or on 64-bit versions. We tested a variety of tools so we can recommend the best, most reliable ones.
Whether you want to use a keyboard shortcut or a graphical menu these are the ideal ways to make a window always-on-top. And, these tools work with pretty much any version of Windows.Another quick thing to note: there are some great apps out there that can make a window stay always on top in addition to doing other things. We’re sticking with lightweight, free tools that serve just the function we’re after, but we’ll note some of those other apps later on in the article in case you’re interested—or already using one.
With a Keyboard Shortcut: AutoHotkey
Using the excellent and useful AutoHotkey program, you can make a one-line script that sets your currently active window to be always on top when you press a certain key combination. The resulting script is lightweight and won’t use much resources or add unnecessary clutter to your system. You can even use AutoHotkey to compile the script to its own executable if you don’t want to keep the full AutoHotkey program running—or if you want an easy way to carry the script with you to other PCs.
First, you’ll need download and install AutoHotkey.
When that’s done, you’ll need to create a new script (if you already use AutoHotkey, feel free to add this to a current script or create a new one). To create a new script, right-click anywhere on your desktop or in a File Explorer window, point to the “New” menu, and then select the “AutoHotkey Script” option. Give the new script file whatever name you want.
Next, right-click your new AutoHotkey script, and then choose the “Edit Script” option. This opens the script for editing in Notepad, or whatever editing program you use.
In the Notepad window, paste the following line of code at the bottom. You can then save and close the script.
^SPACE:: Winset, Alwaysontop, , A
Next, double-click your script to run it. You’ll know it’s running because a green “H” logo appears in your system tray to let you know it’s running as a background process.
You can now press Ctrl+Space to set any currently active window to be always on top. Press Ctrl+Space again set the window to…
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