Apple Notes vs Google Keep
Apple Notes: The free notes app built into every Mac, iPhone and iPad, synced with iCloud. Google Keep: Google's free sticky-note style app for quick notes, lists, photos and reminders.
| Apple Notes | Google Keep | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, included with Apple devices | Free with a Google account |
| Free option | Notes is free on Mac, iPhone and iPad. Syncing uses your iCloud storage, and iCloud+ storage plans start at $0.99 per month for 50 GB | Free with a Google account. Keep is also part of Google Workspace for business accounts |
| License | Proprietary, included with Apple devices | Proprietary |
| Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Web (icloud.com) | Web, Android, iOS |
| Notes stored as | iCloud or on-device notes, with Markdown import, export and Copy as Markdown on the Mac | Google account cloud, synced in real time |
Choose Apple Notes if
- you use only Apple devices and want something that just works
- you want quick notes, lists, sketches and audio with no extra cost
- you only need Markdown occasionally, through export or Copy as Markdown
Strengths
- Already installed on every Apple device, nothing to set up
- Drawings, audio recording with live transcripts, inline math, and attachments (per the Apple Notes User Guide)
- On the Mac you can import Markdown, export a note as Markdown, and use Edit > Copy as Markdown
- Optional end-to-end encryption for Notes with Advanced Data Protection for iCloud
Limits
- No native app for Windows, Linux or Android; other devices use icloud.com in a browser
- Notes live in Apple's library, not as a folder of Markdown files, so other editors cannot open them directly
- No plugin system or linked-note graph
Pricing details
- Notes itself costs nothing. It ships with macOS, iOS and iPadOS and works on the web at icloud.com
- iCloud+ storage plans listed on apple.com/icloud: 50 GB $0.99, 200 GB $2.99, 2 TB $9.99, 6 TB $29.99, 12 TB $59.99 per month
Choose Google Keep if
- you want fast capture of lists and reminders on your phone
- you already live in Gmail, Docs and Drive
- you share shopping lists or to-dos with other people
Strengths
- Notes, lists, photos, drawings and audio, with reminders
- Real-time sync across phone, computer and watch, and real-time shared editing
- Export a note to Google Docs to turn it into a full document
Limits
- On a computer Keep runs in the browser; Google says offline access is only in the mobile apps
- Google does not describe Markdown support on the Keep pages, and notes are not stored as files
- Built for short notes and lists, with no nested notebooks or linked notes
Pricing details
- Keep has no separate paid plan. It uses the storage of your Google account
- Business users get Keep as part of a Google Workspace subscription
Apple Notes
The free notes app built into every Mac, iPhone and iPad, synced with iCloud.
Proprietary
- Price: Free, included with Apple devices
- Platforms: macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Web (icloud.com)
- Storage: iCloud or on-device notes, with Markdown import, export and Copy as Markdown on the Mac
Google Keep
Google's free sticky-note style app for quick notes, lists, photos and reminders.
Proprietary
- Price: Free with a Google account
- Platforms: Web, Android, iOS
- Storage: Google account cloud, synced in real time
Details come from each vendor's own website and were checked on 2026-11-15. Confirm current prices on the vendor page.