Google Keep review

Google Keep is a free, fast replacement for the quick-capture side of Evernote rather than its filing cabinet. Google's App Store listing describes notes, lists, photos and audio, with organization by labels and colors instead of notebooks. Reminders can be set for a time or a place, so a grocery list can pop up when you arrive at the store. Voice memos are transcribed automatically, and text inside images becomes searchable, which helps with photographed whiteboards or receipts. Shared lists update in real time as people check items off, which suits households. Keep runs on phones, tablets and the web at keep.google.com, with a Chrome extension for saving pages. The limits show with larger archives: there are no notebooks, the listing does not mention rich formatting for long documents, and Google does not describe an Evernote import in the listing. Most Evernote users would pair Keep with another app for long-term reference notes.

Who it is for

Android users and families sharing lists

Price

Free with a Google account.

Google Keep - Notes and lists Notes and lists Free
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 14, 2026.

Key features

• Notes, lists, photos and audio in one app
• Time-based and location-based reminders
• Voice memos are transcribed automatically
• Text from images is searchable
• Labels and colors for organizing notes

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free on phones, tablets and the web
• Strength: Shared lists update in real time
• Strength: Chrome extension for saving to Keep
• Weakness: Organizes with labels and colors rather than notebooks
• Weakness: No Markdown or long-document formatting listed
• Weakness: No Evernote import described in the App Store listing

Key facts

• Price: Free
• Reminders: Time and location based
• Organization: Labels and colors
• Platforms: Phone, tablet and web

Where it ranks

Google Keep is No. 8 in our Best Evernote Alternatives verdict.