Google Keep vs Simple Sticky Notes
We give Google Keep a 3.6 GPA and Simple Sticky Notes a 3.0, out of 4.0. Google Keep grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features 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
Simple Sticky Notes
Free sticky notes for the Windows desktop with reminders
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle KeepExcellent | 3.0GPASimple Sticky NotesVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AIt's freeware. The download page says it's completely free for personal and commercial use. Themes and alarm sounds come from the site's Store as add-on files, and no prices are shown there. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AThe whole Windows app is free, with nothing to upgrade to. One string attached: the licence lets the maker place announcements of its other products in the software. |
| Features | 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. | BDesktop notes with formatted text, checklists with child items, alarm reminders, and a Note Explorer that searches everything and sorts it into notebooks. Solid for sticky notes. But notes sit in a local Notes.db file, and restoring a backup permanently deletes every note in the app at the time. |
| Ease of use | 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. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Double-click the tray icon and a note lands on the desktop. Each one can be hidden, recoloured or given its own opacity. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | DWindows only, from Windows 7 through 11, including Arm64. No Mac, phone or web version, and no integrations. Getting a note out means printing it, exporting text or RTF, or sharing to Twitter or WhatsApp. |
| Best for | quick notes and shared shopping lists | free sticky notes on a Windows desktop |
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: Google Keep and Simple Sticky Notes. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Keep starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter). Simple Sticky Notes is free.
- Only Google Keep lists a web app.
- Only Google Keep lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Google Keep lists a browser extension.
- Only Simple Sticky Notes lists a Windows app.
- Google Keep also covers transcription and web clipper.
At a glance
| Google Keep | Simple Sticky Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | Freeware: the download page says it is completely free for personal and commercial use, and the license lets you use it without charge. |
| Free trial | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Simnet Limited | |
| Price read from | knowledge.workspace.google.com | simplestickynotes.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Simple Sticky Notes
- Windows users who want reminders stuck to the desktop
- Short checklists and quick notes that stay in view while working
- Offices that need a notes tool that is free for commercial use
Worth knowing
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.
Simple Sticky Notes
- Windows only: it runs on Windows 7 through 11, including Arm64 versions of Windows 10 and 11.
- Notes are kept in a local Notes.db file, and moving them to another PC is done with the backup and restore functions.
- Restoring a backup permanently deletes every note currently in the app, including trashed ones.
- The freeware license allows the maker to place announcements of its other products in the software.
Key features
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.
Simple Sticky Notes
- Desktop sticky notes
- Double-clicking the tray icon adds a note to the desktop. Each note can be hidden, recolored and given its own opacity.
- Alarm reminders
- A note can be given an alarm so that it reminds you of a task at a set time.
- Checklists
- Checkboxes turn a note into a checklist, with indented child items that follow their parent when it is checked or unchecked.
- Note Explorer
- One window shows all notes, searches them, sorts them into notebooks and gives access to deleted notes.
- Print, export and share
- Notes can be printed, exported as text or RTF files, and shared to Twitter and WhatsApp.
- Themes, sounds and dark mode
- The site's Store offers note themes and alarm sounds that install by double-clicking an .ssnex file, and the app has a dark mode.
Plans
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.
Simple Sticky Notes
Simple Sticky Notes$0
The full Windows app. Themes and sounds from the site's Store are added as extension files, with no prices shown.
Ways to pay less
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.
Simple Sticky Notes
No public discounts listed.
