While you can always take notes in a physical notebook if you’d prefer, you may find a digital option to be more practical. Whether you’re using Google Keep or another one of the best note-taking apps, you can add notes from any device and access them at any time.
In our Google Keep review, we evaluate the platform’s pros and cons and see how it compares to some of the top competitors. While other platforms may be more convenient if you’re already invested in another ecosystem, like Apple’s iCloud or another Microsoft Office alternative, Google Keep is still one of the best ways to take notes at present.
Google Keep: Plans and pricing
Like other Google productivity apps, Google Keep is entirely free to use. Free users get a full 15 GB of free storage, and this is significantly higher than similar platforms like OneDrive and iCloud, which offer just 5 GB each.
Additional storage is available through the Google Workspace subscription, along with a wide range of other perks. Business Starter ($6 per user per month) comes with 30 GB per user, while Business Standard ($12 per user per month) and Business Plus ($18 per user per month) upgrade that limit to 2 TB and 5 TB, respectively. Custom storage plans are also available for larger organizations.
Google Keep: Features
Even though Google Keep has a relatively basic and straightforward design, it still comes with a surprisingly robust set of tools for taking and sharing notes. Like Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets, Keep notes can easily be shared with other users via email. Unfortunately, Keep doesn’t allow you to use sharing links or share notes for reading only.
But users can add reminders to their notes and configure them to repeat daily, weekly, monthly, annually, or at a custom interval. If you need to organize your notes, you can sort them by color coding or adding custom labels.
Google Keep: Interface and in use
You shouldn’t have any difficulties adjusting to Google Keep if you have experience with any of Google’s other productivity tools. You can start notes at any time by clicking Take a Note at the top of the screen, and other elements, like checkboxes, reminders, and images, can be added in just a few clicks. There’s also an option to toggle between grid and list view in the upper toolbar.
The Google Keep mobile app performs all the same functions, and it arguably has one of the best designs of any note-taking app on iOS or Android. That said, there’s no way to access notes offline within Google Keep, and notes can only be exported to Google Docs rather than PDF or Word files.
Google Keep: Support
For Google Keep support, just click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen and select Help. You’ll be directed to a Help Center with a list of articles on various functions and settings, such as organizing notes, setting reminders, and exporting data.
Unfortunately, while Google also has support forums, they don’t appear to be particularly active for Google Keep. But the platform is relatively simple, and most questions should be resolvable through the Help Center.
Google Keep: Security
Google Keep doesn’t offer any meaningful security measures, so your notes will be as secure as your Google account. The vast majority of users won’t experience any issues, but it’s still a good idea to enable two-factor authentication in your account settings.
The application also doesn’t give users the option to set password protections. All things considered, Google is itself a secure platform and offers reasonable privacy, but it might not be the best place to store truly sensitive information, like your passwords or social security number.
The competition
Google Keep works similarly to competing apps like Evernote and Apple Notes, but there are a few important differences to keep in mind when deciding between them. For example, Google offers 15 GB of storage to free users compared to just 5 GB from Apple and 60 MB from Evernote.
On the other hand, Google Keep is missing a few notable tools that some users may prefer to have. For example, Evernote makes it easy to save web pages to your notes, search through handwriting, and access templates for things like budgeting, academic notes, and even creative writing.
Final verdict
Google Keep isn’t the most fully featured note-taking program currently available, but it’s still incredibly easy to use and convenient for anyone who uses other Google platforms. The application’s interface is as good as any of its competitors, and it has helpful functions, including checkboxes and reminders.
While some missing tools and settings will turn away certain users, we still think Google is one of the better options when it comes to taking notes. Make sure to check out our guide to the best free office software for information about other top providers.