Google Keep vs Memos

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

Memos

• Self-hosters who want quick notes on a server they control
• Short, frequent notes and logs rather than long structured documents
• Developers who want to script note capture through an API

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.

Memos

• The project runs no hosted service, so you need to operate and back up a server yourself or use an instance someone else runs.
• No native mobile or desktop apps are listed; phones and computers use the web app, which can be installed as a PWA.
• Import is marked as work in progress and accepts only a Memos export ZIP; imports from other note apps are not supported.
• Memos are not arranged in folders or notebooks, and a Space does not let several people edit the same memo.

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.

Memos

Timeline of Markdown memos

Memos are written in Markdown with code highlighting, tables, task lists, math and diagrams, and need no title or folder before saving.

Search, tags, calendar and map

Find a memo by its text, nested #tags, the day it was written or the place attached to it. Views save a filter expression for reuse.

Per-memo visibility and Spaces

Each memo is private, open to signed-in users, public or limited to a Space. Spaces gather members and memos in one feed but do not grant shared editing.

Self-hosted in one container

Runs with Docker, Kubernetes or a binary for Linux, macOS or Windows, and keeps data in SQLite, MySQL or PostgreSQL on infrastructure you control.

API, webhooks and MCP server

REST and gRPC APIs cover the product's features, signed webhooks fire when memos change, and a built-in MCP endpoint lets AI assistants search and write memos.

Web Clipper and Telegram capture

A browser extension for Chromium-based browsers and Firefox saves pages, selections and images as Markdown, and a Telegram bot forwards messages into Memos.

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.

Memos

• Memos software$0

  Every feature, including sharing, Spaces, the API and all three database backends. Hosting is arranged and paid for separately.

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.

Memos

No public discounts listed.