OneNote vs Google Keep: which should you use in 2026?

Last updated November 2026

OneNote and Google Keep are the free note apps from the two biggest productivity ecosystems. OneNote is Microsoft's digital notebook: notebooks, sections and pages, with a free-form canvas where you can type, draw, paste and handwrite anywhere. Google Keep is a fast grid of short notes and checklists that syncs through your Google account. Both are free on almost every platform, and both have changed in the past year.

This comparison covers how they differ and who each one suits.

Quick verdict

Choose OneNote if you want structured notebooks, handwriting and drawing, file attachments, or you already use Microsoft 365.

Choose Google Keep if you want quick notes, checklists, shared lists and reminders that are as fast as possible, especially on Android.

Consider Fabric if your notes, files, screenshots and links have outgrown both and you want them in one place, searchable by describing what you are looking for.

Comparison table

Platforms

OneNote runs on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web. The older OneNote for Windows 10 app reached end of support on October 14, 2025 and is now read-only, so Windows users should use the current OneNote app, which comes with Microsoft 365 and is also available free.

Google Keep runs on Android, iPhone, iPad, the web and Wear OS. There is no desktop app for Windows or Mac.

Winner: OneNote, for its full desktop apps.

Organisation

OneNote mirrors a ring binder. You create notebooks, divide them into section groups and sections, and fill sections with pages and subpages. Tags such as To Do, Important and Question mark individual lines, and you can search by tag.

Google Keep puts every note in one grid, organised by labels, colours, pins and an archive. There are no folders or notebooks.

Winner: OneNote. It handles large collections far better.

Capture

Google Keep is faster. Open the app and type, add a note from a widget or the lock screen, dictate through Google Assistant, or tick a list item from your watch.

OneNote can be quick too, with sticky notes on Windows and mobile, a quick-note shortcut on Windows, and the OneNote web clipper. On a phone, though, opening the right notebook and section adds steps.

Winner: Google Keep.

Search

OneNote searches typed text, handwriting and text inside images and printouts, across all your notebooks. You can also search by tag.

Google Keep searches note text and filters by type, label, colour and collaborator. "Find in note" for searching within long notes arrived on Android in August 2026.

Winner: OneNote. Neither searches by meaning without paid AI features.

Files and attachments

OneNote lets you attach any file to a page, or insert a PDF as a printout so you can annotate it directly. You can embed images, tables, audio and video, and link to files in OneDrive.

Google Keep supports images, drawings and voice recordings, but not PDFs or other documents. Notes are capped at around 20,000 characters.

Winner: OneNote.

Handwriting and drawing

OneNote is one of the best note apps for stylus users. You can write anywhere on the page, convert handwriting to text, solve maths with ink, and use pens, highlighters and shapes. It works well on Surface devices, iPad with Apple Pencil and Android tablets.

Google Keep has a simple drawing mode for sketches and handwritten notes.

Winner: OneNote.

Collaboration

OneNote lets you share whole notebooks, with real-time co-editing and version history. It is widely used by classes and teams that already use Microsoft 365 or Teams.

Google Keep lets you share any note or list with another Google account. It is ideal for shared shopping and household lists.

Winner: OneNote for team notebooks, Google Keep for simple shared lists.

Reminders and tasks

Google Keep lets you set time-based and repeating reminders on any note. Since October 2025 these are saved to Google Tasks and appear in Tasks and Calendar. Location reminders were removed.

OneNote does not have reminders of its own. On Windows you can turn a line into an Outlook task with a due date and reminder, and tags mark to-dos, but it is less direct than Keep.

Winner: Google Keep.

AI features

OneNote includes Copilot for subscribers on Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium. Copilot can summarise pages, create to-do lists from notes, rewrite text and answer questions about your notes. Microsoft 365 Basic does not include Copilot.

Google Keep offers Gemini list creation and Keep Live, a voice-first capture mode announced in September 2026. Both need a paid Google AI plan.

Winner: OneNote, for broader AI features at a similar price.

Privacy and storage

OneNote notebooks are stored in OneDrive, encrypted in transit and at rest. You can password-protect individual sections. Free Microsoft accounts include 5 GB of OneDrive storage.

Google Keep notes are stored on Google's servers, encrypted in transit and at rest. Notes share your 15 GB of free Google storage with Gmail, Drive and Photos.

Winner: OneNote for password-protected sections. Google Keep offers more free storage.

Pricing

OneNote is free on every platform. If you need more storage or Copilot, Microsoft 365 plans in the US are Basic at $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year for 100 GB, Personal at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year for 1 TB and Copilot, Family at $12.99 per month or $129.99 per year for up to six people, and Premium at $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year.

Google Keep is free and uses your 15 GB of Google storage. Gemini features need a Google AI plan.

Winner: tie. Both are free for most people.

Who should choose OneNote

Students. Notebooks and sections map neatly to courses and topics, and handwriting support is excellent. See best AI note-taking app for students.

Stylus users. If you take notes with a pen on a tablet, OneNote is one of the best free options.

Microsoft 365 users. It fits with Outlook, Teams and OneDrive.

See also Evernote vs OneNote.

Who should choose Google Keep

Anyone who wants speed. For quick notes and lists, Keep is hard to beat.

Android users and Google Workspace users. Keep is already there and fits into Gmail, Docs and Calendar.

Households sharing lists. Shared shopping and to-do lists are simple and reliable.

Read our full Google Keep review.

A third option: Fabric

OneNote gives you structure and Keep gives you speed, and neither makes it easy to find something when you only remember what it was about. Fabric keeps notes, PDFs, documents, screenshots, links and voice notes in one place, and its AI search finds anything by describing it, including content inside files and images. Quick capture keeps saving fast, the handwriting scanner turns photos of paper notes into clean notes, and smart organisation groups everything for you. Fabric has a free tier, and paid plans start at $8 per month billed yearly. See Fabric vs Google Keep.

Frequently asked questions

Is OneNote better than Google Keep?

For structured notes, handwriting and file attachments, yes. OneNote has notebooks, sections and pages, a free-form canvas, strong stylus support and PDF printouts. For quick notes, shared lists and reminders, Google Keep is faster and simpler.

Is OneNote free?

Yes. OneNote is free on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, using 5 GB of free OneDrive storage. Copilot features need Microsoft 365 Personal, Family or Premium.

Is Google Keep free?

Yes. Google Keep is free and uses your Google account's 15 GB of free storage. Gemini features require a paid Google AI plan.

What happened to OneNote for Windows 10?

Microsoft ended support for OneNote for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. The app is now read-only. Users should switch to the current OneNote app for Windows, which is free.

Does Google Keep have a desktop app like OneNote?

No. Google retired the Keep Chrome app in 2021. On Windows and Mac you use Keep at keep.google.com or in the side panel of Gmail, Docs and Calendar.

Can I import Google Keep notes into OneNote?

There is no official importer. You can export your Keep notes with Google Takeout and copy them into OneNote, or use a third-party conversion tool. Keep also offers Copy to Google Docs, from which you can paste into OneNote.

Which is better for students, OneNote or Google Keep?

OneNote, for most students. Notebooks and sections suit courses, and handwriting and PDF annotation are strong. Keep is useful alongside it for quick reminders and to-do lists.

Which is better for handwriting?

OneNote. It supports pens, highlighters, ink-to-text, ink maths and writing anywhere on the page. Google Keep has only a basic drawing mode.

Does OneNote have reminders like Google Keep?

Not directly. OneNote on Windows can turn a line into an Outlook task with a reminder, and tags mark to-dos. Google Keep has reminders built into every note, saved to Google Tasks.

Does OneNote have AI?

Yes, through Copilot on Microsoft 365 Personal, Family and Premium. Copilot can summarise notes, create task lists and answer questions about your pages. Google Keep's Gemini features need a paid Google AI plan.

Can OneNote and Google Keep search text in images?

OneNote searches text inside images and printouts automatically. Google Keep can grab text from an image into a note, one image at a time.

Related pages

Best Google Keep alternatives · Google Keep review · Fabric vs Google Keep · Notion vs Google Keep · Evernote vs Google Keep · Apple Notes vs Google Keep · Obsidian vs Google Keep · Evernote vs OneNote · Best note-taking apps · Best AI note-taking app for students