Google Keep vs Stickies
We give Google Keep a 3.6 GPA and Stickies a 3.2, out of 4.0. Google Keep grades higher on platforms. Stickies grades higher on features. 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
| 3.6GPAGoogle KeepExcellent | 3.2GPAStickiesVery 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. | AFreeware for home and office, on as many computers as you like. No registered-only features, no time delays and no nag screens. Donations go through PayPal if you feel like it. |
| 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 full program is free on Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11, and so are the add-on tools and translations on the same site. There's no paid version to be nudged towards. |
| 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. | AIt only does sticky notes, but it does them fully. Notes hold text or images, sleep until a date or wake every day, week or month, and can be attached to an app, website, document or folder. They can be sent to other PCs over a network or by email. There's a documented API and Group Policy control too. |
| 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. It doesn't write to the registry and keeps everything in a single SQLite file. One snag from its own download page: several antivirus products flag the program and installer, which the author calls a false positive. |
| 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. The download page lists Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 and no other platform, so there's no Mac, phone or web version. The API is for other Windows applications. |
| Best for | quick notes and shared shopping lists | yellow 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 Stickies. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Keep starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter). Stickies 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 Stickies lists a Windows app.
- Google Keep also covers transcription, web clipper and tasks.
At a glance
| Google Keep | Stickies | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 for home and office use on any number of computers, with no registered-only features, time delays or nag screens. Donations are accepted through PayPal. |
| 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 | Zhorn Software | |
| Price read from | knowledge.workspace.google.com | zhornsoftware.co.uk |
| 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
Stickies
- Windows users who want plain notes that stay on screen
- Offices that pass notes between PCs on a local network
- Administrators who manage desktop settings through Group Policy
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.
Stickies
- Windows only: the download page lists Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 and no other platform.
- Notes live in one SQLite file on the PC; sharing between machines is done by sending notes over a network, SMTP or MAPI.
- The download page says several antivirus products flag the program and installer as malware, which the author calls a false positive.
- It is freeware, not open source: the author keeps the copyright and source code, and the license forbids modifying the program.
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.
Stickies
- Notes that stay put
- A note remains where it is placed until it is closed, including through reboots, and notes snap to each other and to the screen edges.
- Sleeping notes and alarms
- A note can be hidden for a period, until a date and time, or to wake every day, week or month, and alarms make sure it is noticed.
- Notes attached to apps and documents
- A note can be attached to an application, website, document or folder so that it only shows while that item is on screen.
- Sending notes to other PCs
- Notes transfer between machines over a TCP/IP network connection, an SMTP mail server or a MAPI client, using a hierarchical friends list.
- Styles and skins
- Fonts, colors and buttons can be changed and saved as styles, notes can be resized, and the site has a section of downloadable skins.
- API and Group Policy
- A documented API lets other Windows applications send commands to Stickies, and Active Directory administrators can control settings with Group Policy.
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.
Stickies
Stickies$0
The full program for Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11, with free add-on tools and translations on the same site.
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.
Stickies
No public discounts listed.
