PinTop

Overview

You want to watch a video while you work on a document, but the moment you click another window, the video drops behind it. You'd like to keep a chat window floating on top, but Windows simply doesn't offer that out of the box.

PinTop solves this. One hotkey pins the current window on top; press it again to release. That's it. Simple, fast, and lightweight.

PinTop has been refined for over 15 years since its first release in 2010. Transparency control, auto-pinning favorites, multi-language support, and dark mode all fit inside a single 218KB file.

Key Features

1. Instant pin/unpin with a hotkey

The default hotkey Ctrl+Alt+Space pins the active window on top instantly. Press it again to release. You can reassign the hotkey to any key in settings. Because it's a global hotkey, it works no matter which program you're using.

2. Per-window transparency

Adjust the transparency of a pinned window in 25% / 50% / 75% / 100% steps. Even when a window stays on top, the content beneath shows through, making it easy to work in parallel. Each window can be set individually.

3. Auto-pin favorites

Register the programs you use often as favorites, and PinTop pins them automatically every time they launch. No need to press the hotkey each time.

4. Multi-language support

Supports four languages: Korean / English / 中文 / 日本語. Pick one in settings and it switches instantly. No restart required.

5. Dark / Light mode

Choose Auto (follows the system theme), Dark, or Light. A hand-drawn custom menu UI delivers a clean, polished design.

6. Lives in the system tray

Once launched, PinTop sits in the tray next to the clock as a pin icon. From the right-click menu you can see a list of every open window and pin, unpin, set transparency, or bring each one to the front.

7. Launch on Windows startup

Enable it in settings and PinTop starts automatically with Windows. It sits quietly in the tray and acts only when you need it.

Recommended for

• Anyone working while watching YouTube or Netflix
• Anyone who wants a chat window or notepad always on top
• Anyone coding or writing while keeping reference material in view
• Anyone multitasking on a single monitor
• Anyone checking extra material during a video call
• Anyone reading foreign-language documents with a translator open
• Anyone who wants a calculator or currency converter always on top

How to Use

1. Download PinTop.exe (no installation)
2. Run it and a pin icon appears in the system tray (next to the clock)
3. Click the window you want to pin, then press Ctrl+Alt+Space
4. To release, press the same hotkey again

No installation required. You can run it straight from a USB stick.
It doesn't touch the registry (except for the startup entry).
When you quit, only a single settings file (JSON) is left behind.

All of this in just 218KB

Lighter than a single photo, at 218KB. Inside are hotkey pinning, transparency control, auto-pinning favorites, four languages, dark/light themes, and custom UI rendering.

Zero external library dependencies. Built purely with C# and the Windows API.

Technical Specifications

How It Works

PinTop uses the Windows API function SetWindowPos.

• HWND_TOPMOST: sets the window to the top of the Z-order so it always stays on top
• HWND_NOTOPMOST: clears the topmost setting and returns the window to normal

Because this is the official window-management API provided by Windows, it works safely with no side effects on your system. When you quit the program, all pins are automatically released.