Google Keep vs Zoho Notebook
We give Google Keep a 3.6 GPA and Zoho Notebook a 3.4, out of 4.0. Google Keep grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
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
Zoho Notebook
Card-based notes app with a web clipper, scanner and AI add-ons
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoogle KeepExcellent | 3.4GPAZoho NotebookVery 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. | APro is $19.99 a year. A year, not a month. That buys 100 GB and search inside your scans. Evernote's paid plan starts at $99 a year. |
| 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. | BNo ads, sync on all your devices and no cap on notes that we could find. But 500 MB in total and 10 MB a file goes quickly once you add photos and recordings. |
| 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. | BText, checklist, audio, photo, sketch and file cards, plus a web clipper, a scanner and Kanban-style boards. Wide, not deep. The AI transcription is kept for Pro Plus. |
| 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. | B4.7 from about 23,900 App Store ratings, and the card layout takes minutes to get. Reviewers do describe notes doubling up or going missing between laptop and phone, though. |
| 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. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with clippers for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. It hooks into Google Workspace, Slack, Zapier and IFTTT. |
| Best for | quick notes and shared shopping lists | cheap note-taking on every device |
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 Zoho Notebook. How we grade
Where they differ
- Google Keep starts at $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter). Zoho Notebook starts at $1.67 per month, billed annually at $19.99 (Pro).
- Only Zoho Notebook lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Google Keep also covers tasks.
- Zoho Notebook also covers meeting notes and kanban boards.
At a glance
| Google Keep | Zoho Notebook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $7 per user / month with a 1-year commitment (Workspace Business Starter) | $1.67 per month, billed annually at $19.99 (Pro) |
| 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. | Essential plan: sync across devices, 500 MB of cloud storage, up to 20 versions per note, 10 MB file uploads, 30-minute audio recordings, document scanning, tags and reminders. |
| Free trial | 14-day Google Workspace trial for new customers, limited to 10 users; billing details required | Free trial of the Business plan; a Pro trial is available on request through support. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Zoho Corporation | |
| Price read from | knowledge.workspace.google.com | zoho.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
Zoho Notebook
- Low-cost note-taking: Pro is $19.99 a year
- People who like notes laid out as visual cards
- Teams already using Zoho apps such as Zoho CRM, Cliq or Mail
- Recording meetings or lectures and getting transcripts on Pro Plus
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.
Zoho Notebook
- The free Essential plan has 500 MB of cloud storage on Zoho's pricing page (its App Store listing says 2 GB), 10 MB per file upload and 20 versions per note.
- Notebook AI (transcription, mind maps and generative AI) comes with Pro Plus, not with Essential or Pro.
- Whiteboards, the Teams workspace, the admin console and audit logs are part of the Business plan only.
- Prices vary by region and store: the US App Store lists Pro at $2.49 a month or $24.99 a year, above Zoho's web price.
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.
Zoho Notebook
- Note cards
- Each note is a card of a set type: text, checklist, audio, photo, sketch, file or Smart Card. Cards sit in notebooks with tags, reminders and nested collections.
- Notebook AI and meeting notes
- With Pro Plus, recorded or uploaded audio and video is transcribed into structured notes, long notes become mind maps, and text can be drafted, summarized or translated.
- Web Clipper
- Extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge clip articles, screenshots and bookmarks, attach sticky notes to web pages and summarize pages with AI.
- Scanner and search
- The camera scans documents on every plan. Pro adds scanning of tables and business cards, plus OCR and object detection so search reaches text inside images and documents.
- Noteboards and Whiteboards
- Noteboards lay notes out in Kanban-style lists, up to 4 lists on the free plan. Whiteboards, a shared canvas for sketching and planning, come with the Business plan.
- Sharing and locking
- Notecards, notebooks and collections can be shared with other people or sent as public links, and Pro adds co-owner access. Notes and notebooks can be locked with a password, Touch ID or Face ID.
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.
Zoho Notebook
Essential$0
Sync across devices, 500 MB of storage, 20 note versions, 10 MB file uploads, up to 4 Noteboard lists, document scanning, tags and reminders.
Pro$1.67
per month, billed annually ($19.99); $1.99 billed monthly
100 GB of storage, 100 note versions, 1 GB file uploads, OCR search, PDF annotation, emails into notes and co-owner sharing.
Pro Plus$3.34
per month, billed annually ($39.99); $3.99 billed monthly
500 GB of storage, longer audio and video recordings, AI transcription up to 30 hours a month, AI mind maps and generative AI.
For Business$4.16
per user / month, billed annually ($49.90); $4.99 monthly
1 TB of storage for up to 10 users (+100 GB per extra user), a Teams workspace, whiteboards, an admin console and audit log access.
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.
Zoho Notebook
- Annual discount
Save up to 16% with yearly billing
Zoho's pricing page says yearly billing saves up to 16%. Pro is $19.99 a year against $1.99 a month, and Pro Plus is $39.99 a year against $3.99 a month.
- Other savings
Three-year plans for Pro and Pro Plus
Pro can be bought for 3 years at $49.99 and Pro Plus at $99.99, which is less than three yearly payments of $19.99 or $39.99.
- Education
Free plan for students
Students who sign up with an educational institution email address get a free student plan, and Zoho says they also get Notebook AI at no charge.
- By country
Lower price listed in Indian rupees
The price file that Zoho's pricing page loads, read on 9 October 2026, lists Pro at ₹99 a month and ₹999 a year in Indian rupees, against $1.99 and $19.99 in US dollars.
