ClocX vs Stickies

ClocX is a free analog clock application for Microsoft Windows. It provides 350 configurable clock faces, three antialiasing levels, and 256 transparency levels, including a mouse-over transparency option. Window controls can keep the clock on top, pin it to the desktop, prevent movement, or let clicks pass through. Alarms can show a window, play a sound, run an application, or shut down the computer. A simple calendar is included. The application supports multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, and Japanese, and can start with Windows for all users or at the current user’s login. The maker describes it as freeware without ads, spyware, adware, or toolbars. Version 1.6.0 is listed in 32-bit and 64-bit editions, supporting Windows XP SP2 and later through Windows 11. The plan costs nothing.

Stickies is a free Windows utility for placing text and image notes on the desktop. Notes stay where positioned until closed, including after reboots, and can be resized and styled with custom fonts, colours, buttons and layouts. You can hide a note until a chosen date and time, schedule it to wake daily, weekly or monthly, and add alarms. Notes may be attached to an application, website, document or folder so they appear only when that item is on screen. Stickies transfers notes between machines over TCP/IP, an SMTP mail server or a MAPI client, and exposes an API through Windows messages. It stores data in one SQLite database file without writing to the registry. Unicode and right-to-left text are supported, with translation files for menus and dialogs. The current download supports Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. Group Policy can control settings.