The best Google Keep alternatives in 2026 (and who each is for)

The best Google Keep alternative depends on why you're leaving. If you want folders and long notes on Android, try Microsoft OneNote or, on a Galaxy phone, Samsung Notes. If you want plain files you own forever, pick Obsidian or Joplin. If you want something just as quick as Keep but tidier, Simplenote is the closest match. And if you're all on Apple devices, Apple Notes already does most of it for free.

I used Keep for years, and I still think it's one of the best apps Google makes. It opens instantly, the widget works, and lists sync without fuss. People don't leave because Keep is bad. They leave because their notes outgrew it.

Below is what each alternative is genuinely good at, what it costs, and where it falls short. Prices are from each vendor's own pricing page in November 2026.

Why people look for Google Keep alternatives

Keep is built for short notes, and Google is clear about how it organizes them: labels, colours and pins. There are no folders, and per Google's own help page, "You can have up to 50 labels." That's plenty for groceries and parking spots. It gets tight when Keep turns into your archive.

The usual reasons people switch:

• No folders or nesting. Labels are flat. There's no "Work → Clients → Acme" structure.
• Long notes feel cramped. Keep now has basic formatting (bold, italic, two heading sizes), but no tables, no links between notes and no real document structure.
• Thousands of notes become a wall of cards. Search works, but browsing a big Keep account is mostly scrolling.
• Ownership. Your notes live in your Google account. Export is possible through Google Takeout, but it isn't the same as having plain files on your own disk.

If none of those bother you, my honest advice is to stay. Keep is free, fast and better at quick lists than almost everything below.

Google Keep alternatives at a glance

Microsoft OneNote: the best free alternative with folders

OneNote is the one I'd suggest to most Android users who feel boxed in by Keep. It's organized like a ring binder: notebooks, sections and pages, and you can type anywhere on a page.

The Android app is free with a Microsoft account, and Microsoft's free plan includes 5 GB of cloud storage for your notebooks and everything else in OneDrive. The full desktop app on Windows and Mac needs a Microsoft 365 subscription, but the web and mobile apps don't.

• Good at: real structure, long notes, mixing text, images and ink on one page.
• Falls short: capture is slower than Keep. Saving a quick thought means choosing a notebook and section, or tidying a Quick Notes section later.

Samsung Notes: already on your Galaxy phone

If you have a Samsung Galaxy phone, you probably already have a capable Keep alternative installed. Samsung Notes handles folders, typed notes, PDFs and handwriting, and it's especially good with an S Pen.

It syncs through your Samsung account, and there's a Windows app in the Microsoft Store. The catch is in the name: it's a Samsung app, so it's not a good choice if your next phone might be a Pixel.

• Good at: handwriting, folders, annotating PDFs, working offline.
• Falls short: it ties you to Samsung devices.

Apple Notes: the obvious pick if you're all-in on Apple

If you've moved from Android to iPhone, or use Keep only out of habit on an iPad, Apple Notes is the easiest switch. It has folders, tags, checklists, tables, scanned documents and shared notes, it's free, and it syncs through iCloud.

The limit is platforms. Outside Apple devices you only get iCloud.com in a browser, so it's a poor fit if you still carry an Android phone.

• Good at: fast capture on iPhone, searching text inside images and scans.
• Falls short: no Android app.

Obsidian: if you want to own your notes as files

Obsidian keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. The app is free with no account, and the pricing page calls it "Free without limits." You pay only for optional extras: Sync is $4 a month billed annually ($5 monthly), and Publish is $8 a month per site billed annually.

It's the most powerful app on this list for people who think in linked notes. It's also the one most likely to turn into a hobby. I wrote more about that trade-off in the best second brain apps.

• Good at: linking ideas, long-term ownership, plugins for almost anything.
• Falls short: quick capture on Android is several steps, and setup takes real time.

Notion: for structure, not quick notes

Notion is a workspace builder: pages, databases, views and templates. The free plan covers personal use, and Plus is $10 per member a month, with savings on yearly billing. AI is a limited trial on the free and Plus plans. If AI is the reason you're switching, see the best AI note-taking apps.

Moving from Keep to Notion is a big jump. If your notes are really collections, like a reading list, recipes or job applications, Notion handles them beautifully. If they're "buy batteries", it's overkill.

• Good at: databases, project pages, anything with fields.
• Falls short: every save asks where it goes. It's not a two-second app.

Simplenote: the closest thing to Keep, minus the clutter

Simplenote is made by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. According to its own site, the apps, backups, syncing and sharing are completely free. It runs on Android, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Linux and the web, with tags, instant search and Markdown.

It's what Keep would be without colours, images or reminders: just text that syncs.

• Good at: speed, simplicity, working everywhere for free.
• Falls short: text only, so no images, checklists with reminders or attachments.

Standard Notes: for notes nobody else can read

Standard Notes is built around end-to-end encryption, and that's included on the free plan, along with sync across web, desktop and mobile. Paid plans are $90 a year (Productivity) or $120 a year (Professional), per its plans page, and add things like richer editors and more storage.

• Good at: privacy, long-term trust.
• Falls short: the free editor is basic, and the best features are paid.

Joplin: open source, your sync, your rules

Joplin is an open-source note app for Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac and Linux, with end-to-end encryption. You can sync through Dropbox or OneDrive at no extra cost, or pay for Joplin Cloud, which starts at €2.40 a month on yearly billing.

• Good at: Evernote-style notebooks without the lock-in, importing from Evernote.
• Falls short: the apps feel more functional than polished.

Evernote: still strong for documents, but the free plan is tiny

Evernote is still very good at scanned documents, receipts and web clipping. But its free plan is now 50 notes and one notebook, on one device. That makes it a paid app in practice, and its plans have changed several times. Check the current price on Evernote's site before you move years of notes there.

• Good at: documents, OCR on scans, web clipping.
• Falls short: the free plan is too small for a real Keep replacement.

Where Reminari fits (and where it doesn't)

I'm building Reminari, so take this section with that in mind. It is not a Keep replacement for shopping lists, checklists or reminders. Keep is better at those, and you should keep using it for them.

What Reminari does is the other half of what people stuff into Keep: links, screenshots and "I'll need this later" notes. You share anything into it from any app. It keeps a link's title and preview image when the site provides them, and reads the text inside screenshots on your phone. Later you can search by meaning, like "that cheap flight to Porto", instead of trying to remember a label. With optional cloud AI, it adds short summaries and files saves into smart groups like Recipes or Travel.

It doesn't archive whole pages or keep offline copies of websites. It's Android first, with the iPhone app in testing. You can join the early-access list.

How to choose

• You want Keep, but with folders: OneNote, or Samsung Notes on a Galaxy phone.
• You want Keep, but calmer: Simplenote.
• You care most about owning your notes: Obsidian or Joplin.
• You care most about privacy: Standard Notes.
• Your notes are really collections: Notion.
• Your Keep is mostly saved links and screenshots: a saving app, not a note app. My guide to organizing your digital life explains why those deserve a different home.

If you're not sure what kind of system you need, start with what a second brain app actually is. Then pick the simplest app that fits, because the app you'll still be opening in six months beats the most powerful one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Google Keep?

For most Android users, Microsoft OneNote or Simplenote. OneNote is free on Android with a Microsoft account and adds notebooks and sections. Simplenote is completely free on every platform and stays as quick as Keep. On a Galaxy phone, Samsung Notes is free and already installed.

Does Google Keep have folders?

No. Keep organizes notes with labels, colours and pins, and Google's help page says you can have up to 50 labels. Labels can't be nested, so if you need folders inside folders, OneNote, Samsung Notes, Apple Notes, Obsidian or Joplin will suit you better.

Can I move my notes out of Google Keep?

Yes. Google Takeout exports your Keep notes, and several apps can import them. Check the import options in your new app before you start, because labels, colours and reminders don't always come across.

Is there a Google Keep alternative for iPhone and Android?

Yes. OneNote, Simplenote, Obsidian, Notion, Standard Notes, Joplin and Evernote all have apps for both. Apple Notes is iPhone-only (plus a web version), and Samsung Notes only runs on Galaxy devices and Windows.