Fossify Notes vs Google Keep
We give Fossify Notes a 2.8 GPA and Google Keep a 3.6, out of 4.0. Google Keep grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Google Keep
Google's app for quick notes, lists and reminders
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFossify NotesGood | 3.6GPAGoogle KeepExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree from Google Play or F-Droid, with no ads and no in-app purchases listed. Fossify runs on voluntary donations, so the only way to pay is to choose to. | AKeep is free with a personal Google Account. The paid route is Google Workspace, from $7 a user a month on a 1-year commitment, and that buys a whole office suite with Keep as one small part of it. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free. There's no paid tier, no account and nothing locked away. What you install is all of it. | ANotes, lists, labels, reminders, sharing and offline use are all free on the web, Android and iOS. The one thing held back is making lists with Gemini, which needs a Google AI plan or a Pixel device. |
| Features | CThin, and on purpose: plain text notes, checklists, a home-screen widget, locks for the app or single notes, export and automatic backups to a file. There's no sync between devices at all, and Fossify still labels the app Beta. | BA note can be text, a checklist, a photo, a drawing or audio, and voice memos get transcribed. Reminders fire at a time or a place, and shared lists update live. But it's built for short notes. You organise with colours, pins and up to 50 labels, and that's the lot. |
| Ease of use | BNo account and nothing to set up. Open it, type, and edits save by themselves. It isn't on iPhone, so there's no App Store rating on record to go by, and a B is as high as we go. | B4.59 from about 29,000 App Store ratings, a whisker under our line for an A. There's very little to learn: open it, type the thing, pick a colour if you like. |
| Platforms and integrations | DAndroid only. Fossify builds its apps for Android and offers no iOS, desktop or web version. With no cloud service either, a note only leaves the phone when you share it, export it or back up the device. | AWeb, Android, Wear OS, iPhone, iPad and a Chrome extension, with a side panel that drops your notes into Google Docs and Slides. No desktop app is listed, so on a computer it's a browser tab. |
| Best for | Android notes that never go online | quick notes and shared shopping lists |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fossify Notes and Google Keep. How we grade
Where they differ
- Fossify Notes is free. Google Keep starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter).
- Only Google Keep lists a web app.
- Only Google Keep lists an iOS app.
- Only Google Keep lists a browser extension.
- Fossify Notes is open source, according to its own site.
- Google Keep also covers transcription and web clipper.
At a glance
| Fossify Notes | Google Keep | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) |
| Free plan | The whole app is free to install from Google Play or F-Droid, with no ads and no in-app purchases listed. Fossify is funded by voluntary donations. | Free with a personal Google Account on the web, Android and iOS: notes, lists, labels, reminders, sharing and offline use. Creating lists with Gemini needs a Google AI plan or a Pixel device. |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Fossify | |
| Price read from | play.google.com | knowledge.workspace.google.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Fossify Notes
- Android users who want a notes app that never goes online
- Quick notes, shopping lists and checklists on the home screen
- People replacing stock phone apps with open-source ones
Google Keep
- Quick notes, shopping lists and reminders on a phone or smartwatch
- People who already work in Google Docs and other Google apps
- Households sharing lists that update in real time
Worth knowing
Fossify Notes
- Android only: Fossify builds its apps for Android and offers no iOS, desktop or web version.
- Fossify labels the app Beta, meaning it is published while active testing and development are still under way.
- There is no account or cloud service, so notes do not sync between devices; moving them means exporting or a device backup.
- Google Play and F-Droid publish releases on their own schedules, so the version on offer can differ between the two.
Google Keep
- Keep allows up to 50 labels, and labels, colors and pins on a shared note are visible only to you.
- No desktop app is listed: Keep runs in a browser, as a Chrome extension and as Android, Wear OS, iPhone and iPad apps.
- Creating lists with Gemini in Keep requires a Google AI plan or a Pixel device.
- Workspace Business editions are capped at 300 users; larger organizations need Enterprise pricing from Google sales.
Key features
Fossify Notes
- Text notes and checklists
- Write plain notes, shopping lists and checklists as separate, independent notes. Edits are saved automatically, and checked items can be moved to the bottom of a list.
- Home-screen widgets
- A customizable widget keeps a note or a to-do list visible on the Android home screen and opens it with a tap.
- App and note locking
- The app as a whole or individual notes can be protected, with fingerprint access used when biometric protection is selected.
- Import, export and automatic backups
- Notes can be imported from and exported to files, and optional automatic backups create backup files on the device without manual steps.
- No Internet permission
- The app does not request Android's Internet permission. Notes leave the device only when shared, exported or included in an Android device backup.
- Color and font customization
- Colors and display settings can be changed to taste, and version 1.7.0 added support for custom fonts.
Google Keep
- Notes, lists, photos, drawings and audio
- A note can be text, a checklist, a photo, a drawing or an audio recording. Voice memos are transcribed automatically, and text inside images is picked up by search.
- Labels, colors and pins
- Notes are organized with up to 50 labels, color codes and pins. Search filters by color and by attributes such as lists, audio notes with reminders or shared notes.
- Time and location reminders
- A reminder brings a note back at a set time or on arrival at a place, such as a grocery list that appears at the store.
- Shared notes
- Several people can edit the same note or list at once, with checked-off items showing up in real time. Notes can also be shared with a Google family group.
- Keep inside Google Docs and Slides
- A side panel in Docs and Slides lists Keep notes, which can be dragged into the document. Highlighted text or images can be saved back to Keep.
- Chrome extension and offline use
- The Chrome extension saves URLs, text and images to Keep and lets you add labels. Notes can be updated offline, and changes sync once you reconnect.
Plans
Fossify Notes
Fossify Notes$0
The full app from Google Play or F-Droid, under the GNU GPL v3.0. Both stores use the same package name and signing key.
Google Keep
Personal Google Account$0
Keep on the web, in the free Android and iOS apps and as a Chrome extension, with labels, reminders and shared notes.
Business Starter$7
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($8.40 flexible)
Google Workspace for up to 300 users with 30 GB pooled storage per user. Keep shared notes come with every Workspace plan.
Business Standard$14
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($16.80 flexible)
Google Workspace with 2 TB pooled storage per user.
Business Plus$22
per user / month, 1-year commitment ($26.40 flexible)
Google Workspace with 5 TB pooled storage per user.
EnterpriseCustom
For companies with more than 300 users; priced through Google sales and resellers.
Ways to pay less
Fossify Notes
No public discounts listed.
Google Keep
- Annual discount
Lower Workspace rate with a 1-year commitment
Business Starter costs $7 per user per month on the Annual/Fixed-Term Plan versus $8.40 on the Flexible Plan. Standard drops from $16.80 to $14 and Plus from $26.40 to $22.
- Nonprofit
Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0
Eligible nonprofits get Google Workspace for Nonprofits at $0 per user, or Business Standard at $3.50 and Business Plus at $6.16 per user per month on a 1-year commitment.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 the Workspace pricing page showed Starter at ₹270 per user a month on a 1-year commitment to a visitor in India, against $7 in the US list. Google says prices and discounts can vary by country.
