Is PipNow's Free Version Enough? The 6 Differences That Matter

Short answer: if you just want to keep one window in sight, the free version is enough. If you want to watch and act at the same time, Pro is required.

Here are the differences, so you can match them to how you actually work.

What the free version does

It isn’t a trial. No time limit, no feature that stops working after two weeks.

• Any window becomes a mini window — ⌘⌥P or the top-right trigger: chats, terminals, browsers, charts
• Hover preview works — move the cursor over the mini window for an enlarged view
• One mini window at a time
• All keyboard shortcuts — ⌘⌥P to shrink, ⌘⌥F to select a region
• Themes, language, launch at login
• Fully local — no account, no telemetry, same as Pro

For someone coding with one AI task to watch, that covers the need — the requirement was always “one status light”.

The six differences

#	Capability	Free	Pro
1	Simultaneous mini windows	1	unlimited
2	Acting inside the preview	❌ view only	✅ click, type, drag
3	Mini window position	fixed corner	anywhere
4	Mini window size	fixed	adjustable
5	Preview size	fixed	adjustable
6	Multiple displays	basic	full (per-display layouts)

The first two are the dividing line. The rest are about comfort.

Match yourself to a profile

Profile A: “I only need to see it.” Coding while an agent runs; a glance at a group chat during a call. Free is enough. One mini window is your actual requirement.

Profile B: “I need to watch several things.” Trading (chart + news + chat), multiple agents, a stream plus a call. Pro is required. One versus unlimited isn’t something you can work around.

Profile C: “I need to act while watching.” Replying in the preview, clicking confirm, paging through slides, scrubbing a video. Pro is required. Being able to look but not touch defeats the purpose — you’d switch back to the original window anyway.

Price and refunds

Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Three tiers cover 1, 2, or 5 Macs; current pricing is on the pricing page. There’s a 14-day money-back window, provided the license hasn’t been activated on multiple devices. Details in the terms of service.

One honest suggestion

If you’re unsure, run the free version for a week. Real use answers this better than any feature table:

• If you never once wished for a second mini window → don’t buy
• If you kept switching back to the original window to do something → buy
• If you started dragging the mini window around to find a better spot → buy

A feature table tells you what exists. A week of use tells you what’s missing.

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