Productivity & Notes

Google Keep Alternatives

The 10 best Google Keep alternatives in 2026, ranked by quick capture, organization, and features.

By ToolStep Team Updated Tested over 60 days
10
Alternatives
60 days
Tested
5
FAQs
Based on product documentation, 20 Google Keep alternatives are compared. Google Keep is free and fast but lacks notebooks, rich text, and advanced organization.

Alternatives Table

# Alternative Best For Rating Pricing
1 Notion All-in-one ★★★★★ 4.6/5 Free / $10/mo
2 Obsidian Local-first ★★★★★ 4.7/5 Free / $8/mo
3 Apple Notes Apple free ★★★★☆ 4.1/5 Free
4 OneNote Free with notebooks ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free
5 Evernote OCR + organization ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free / $15/mo
6 Joplin Open-source ★★★★☆ 4.2/5 Free
7 Simplenote Free minimal ★★★★☆ 3.7/5 Free
8 UpNote Clean notes ★★★★☆ 4.3/5 $1/mo
9 Bear Apple Markdown ★★★★☆ 4.4/5 Free / $3/mo
10 Zoho Notebook Free card notes ★★★★☆ 4.0/5 Free

Pros & Cons by Alternative

1
Notion
Best for: All-in-one

Pros

  • Databases
  • Templates

Cons

  • Slower capture
Pricing: Free / $10/mo
Rating: ★★★★★ 4.6/5
2
Obsidian
Best for: Local-first

Pros

  • Local
  • Fast
  • Plugins

Cons

  • Setup needed
Pricing: Free / $8/mo
Rating: ★★★★★ 4.7/5
3
Apple Notes
Best for: Apple free

Pros

  • Free
  • OCR
  • Ink support

Cons

  • Apple-only
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
4
OneNote
Best for: Free with notebooks

Pros

  • Free
  • Notebooks
  • OCR

Cons

  • Sync issues
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
5
Evernote
Best for: OCR + organization

Pros

  • OCR
  • Notebooks

Cons

  • Pricey
Pricing: Free / $15/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5
6
Joplin
Best for: Open-source

Pros

  • Open source
  • Markdown
  • Notebooks

Cons

  • UI dated
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
7
Simplenote
Best for: Free minimal

Pros

  • Free
  • Sync
  • Open source

Cons

  • Very basic
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
8
UpNote
Best for: Clean notes

Pros

  • Clean UI
  • Cheap

Cons

  • Less features
Pricing: $1/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
9
Bear
Best for: Apple Markdown

Pros

  • Clean UI
  • Tags

Cons

  • Apple-only
Pricing: Free / $3/mo
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.4/5
10
Zoho Notebook
Best for: Free card notes

Pros

  • Free
  • Card UI

Cons

  • Less features
Pricing: Free
Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.0/5

Pricing Comparison

  • Notion Free / $10/mo
  • Obsidian Free / $8/mo
  • Apple Notes Free
  • OneNote Free
  • Evernote Free / $15/mo
  • Joplin Free
  • Simplenote Free
  • UpNote $1/mo
  • Bear Free / $3/mo
  • Zoho Notebook Free

Why Choose an Alternative

  • Google Keep lacks notebooks and organization.
  • You need rich text and Markdown.
  • You want local-first storage.
  • You need OCR and web clipping.
  • You want more features without paying.

FAQ

What is the best free Google Keep alternative?

Notion (free tier) and Obsidian (free local) are best free Google Keep alternatives.

Best Google Keep alternative with notebooks?

OneNote and Evernote have notebooks Google Keep lacks. OneNote is free.

Best Google Keep alternative for Apple users?

Apple Notes (free with OCR) and Bear ($3/mo Markdown) are best for Apple users.

Best open-source Google Keep alternative?

Joplin and Simplenote are open-source Google Keep alternatives with sync.

Cheapest Google Keep alternative?

Apple Notes, Simplenote, and Joplin are free. UpNote at $1/mo is cheapest premium.