Google Keep vs Evernote (2022): Review

Introduction

Notes apps are one of the best inventions made so far! Serving individuals coming from any field to conveniently jot down any piece of the article at any given point of time. It's prompt features let it immediately update when changes are made, update time and date each time you utilize it, and maintain separate pages as per your requirements. Whether you're using it for work purposes or casual usage, it serves its purpose relentlessly.

Are you creating new blogs whilst practicing your write-up in these notes or do you want to write down the things you want to get done, to achieve your ideal blog? Or, Do you need to list down the latest songs you heard for a future download? With multi-purpose usage, it's the most used and helpful app. Regardless of whether it's a to-do list you need to jot down or put together essential details that you tend to forget. You've got it all.

Working as a virtual planner, you can organize your business by laying down ideas, projects, work allocated, important assignments, all in separate pages. Further, due to its easy accessibility, it's more preferred and effortless to use. One certainly can't carry a pen and paper around at all times, also the matter composed can't be corrected or updated like the notes apps. 

No surprise, businesses have shifted to an advanced approach by implementing the same. They can easily take down minutes in meetings and write down ideas during brainstorming sessions and update the details from where they left it off. It's clear that it has endless benefits and to obtain a fuller glimpse into it, we've listed some of them below.

Google Keep

Ideal software for individuals driven by Google's intelligent services, Google Keep is just one of their notes taking software offered as a segment of Google Docs suite. Availing users with its services from diverse platforms inclusive of Android of iOS versions along with web-based interfaces and Windows.

With the ability to jot down notes with its extensive tools, it involves text, audio, images, and lists. One can also add titles to their pages for better organization and maintenance purposes.

It has served and progressed by influencing a large audience. Users can also view the notes in two formats, one-column view, and two-column view. 

Some of its other features are listed below;

• Can easily extract text from images through optical character recognition, audio recorded in Keep can be automatically transcribed.
• Users can effortlessly schedule reminders with an accurate time and location allotted to them, in association with Google Now.
• Notes have been updated to endorse color-combined themes inclusive of colors like Red, Orange, Blue, Green, Yellow, White, Teal, and Grey.
• An automated button named Copy to Google Docs enables you to directly move your notes within a single click.
• It also transforms text notes into checklists for efficient planning and management of your valued time.
• Google Keep users can also form notes and lists using voice.
• While it's possible to segregate distinct notes with labels, one can go to the navigation bar for easy access.

Evernote

A power-packed tool that permits entrepreneurs, innovative creators, and everyday hustlers to conveniently form notes. With its free software, it has been developed by the Evernote Corporation in the year 2020, June. With its primary functions revolving around note-taking, archiving, efficient management of activities, and organizing, users can take optimal advantage of their services. Enabling creators to formulate notes with texts, images, web-oriented content, audio, and drawings.

Functioning through softwares on Android, iOS, and Mac OS, it also operates on platforms like Microsoft Windows. Notes are managed in the form of books and can be updated, browsed, annotated, labeled, attached, and sent out.

Some of its additional features are;

• Its document scanner lets you back all of your documents, eliminating the hassles that come with hard copies.
• Easy access with searchable texts and tags to reach your destined notes.
• Syncs your software to distinct devices to save and progress your work effectively.
• Format your pages as per your requirements, to make your notes look more aligned.
• Its offline administration for smartphones lets you take notes anytime and from any location, without the need for a steady network connection. This implies even if you're on a flight or out of internet connectivity, you can still work through your Evernote software.
• With the assistance of its 200MB expanse, one can create enormous notes, adding high-quality images with its sufficient storage capacity.  

Although all of the features summarized gives a gist of what it offers as a package. It only extends limited insight on which app is more competent, versatile, and suitable. To help you gain comprehensive insight on which app works the best and why, we have conducted a detailed study on both softwares and emphasized their performance below.

Features overview

1.  Interface for the users

While one studies about note-taking and its essential components, there isn't just one essential aspect but many. The way your notes are availed or viewed, the convenience that comes while accessing it, the features that make it more reliable and relevant to you, and many more. All these make your note-taking experience more desirable and smooth. 

The interface that its users can work on, is just another one of these essential components. Of course, no two service providers are similar in their approach, Google Keep and Evernote also follow varied ways of operations, even though both facilitate common services or goals. 

Google Keep 

Google Keep lends a summarized view of what each saved note encompasses, making it easier to identify and find the note that you're looking for. 

This implies, there are fewer chances of missing out on your notes, as one would be able to obtain a glimpse of each of them. And in case you're worried about not being able to find a note that was added long ago, there are high chances that it'd just be hiding in the archive segment. This shows that there is no way you'd lose track of your added notes, making it a more reliable and efficient choice.

With the power to add 4 different categories to your notes inclusive of text, drawings, lists, and images, one can also incorporate varied color themes and form personalized tags. With two options for looking up your notes, the first one being a default grid view and another as a list view.

Its user interface allows you to use Google Keep and its services from a web-based browser, or it's also possible to utilize its mobile app for Android and iOS users. With an easy to use interface, it certainly delights the users with an incredible experience.

Evernote

A power-packed tool that permits entrepreneurs, innovative creators, and everyday hustlers to conveniently form notes. With its free software, it has been developed by the Evernote Corporation in the year 2020, June. With its primary functions revolving around note-taking, archiving, efficient management of activities, and organizing, users can take optimal advantage of their services. Enabling creators to formulate notes with texts, images, web-oriented content, audio, and drawings.

Functioning through softwares on Android, iOS, and Mac OS, it also operates on platforms like Microsoft Windows. Notes are managed in the form of books and can be updated, browsed, annotated, labeled, attached, and sent out.

Some of its additional features are;

• Its document scanner lets you back all of your documents, eliminating the hassles that come with hard copies.
• Easy access with searchable texts and tags to reach your destined notes.
• Syncs your software to distinct devices to save and progress your work effectively.
• Format your pages as per your requirements, to make your notes look more aligned.
• Its offline administration for smartphones lets you take notes anytime and from any location, without the need for a steady network connection. This implies even if you're on a flight or out of internet connectivity, you can still work through your Evernote software.
• With the assistance of its 200MB expanse, one can create enormous notes, adding high-quality images with its sufficient storage capacity.  

Although all of the features summarized gives a gist of what it offers as a package. It only extends limited insight on which app is more competent, versatile, and suitable. To help you gain comprehensive insight on which app works the best and why, we have conducted a detailed study on both softwares and emphasized their performance below.

2. Display & Resemblance 

Google Keep and the notes stored onto it acts as a virtual board displaying sticky notes all over it. Evernote resembles more to a notebook with multiple subjects, segregated for display.

If you had the choice to pick the pattern of how your notes will be displayed, what would you choose? A software that avails notes in distinct colors, displaying summarized insight into each note with labels or something that resembles more like a notebook with distinct pages as notes added. While both master note-taking with a varied approach, it also entices different groups of users.

Where Google Keep is an ideal fit for individuals who are looking for software that can save up the to-do lists, schedules, reminders, etc. It can work proficiently as a planner for administering improved time and task management.

Evernote is more favorable for users who desire to maintain detailed and lengthy notes. At this point, if you are certain about which software would make for a more suitable choice, then it will surely ease your final decision.

Google Keep 

• What renders Google Keep to resemble with sticky notes is its ability to be monochromic and vibrant with varied colors. 
• One can assign any color to each note pinned to the display, this can also assist in distinguishing more significant notes on a priority basis. 
• If you want to leave it to a formal and simple look, you can just stick to the default white color. These color codes let you personalize your dashboard as per your preferences.
• It offers custom-friendly options when it comes to text formatting as well. While it has a default font setting for titles to your notes and its body consisting of text. 
• It allows a total of 2 text font settings for the display, the first being the default setting and secondly, it lets you choose from a text format between lines or paragraphs, or even as a list.
• Further, its grid and list view displays the notes in a single or dual column format. To sum up, your approach can be simpler yet amazing with Google Keep.

Evernote

• On the contrary, Evernote emphasizes achieving an organized overview of the recorded notes.
• Displaying a list of saved titles along with a short descriptive segment of the notes, one can click on the note they are looking for and expand its entire writing for view. 
• One can rightfully compare the notebooks in Evernote to the emails received in Outlook as they show a similar resemblance in pattern and display.
• Evernote arrives with readily available templates and several formatting options to choose from.
• Its toolbar lets you edit and format your text into distinct fonts like italics, bold and more. 
• Its lists can also be set up to be ordered and unordered. 
• Further, one can also design their checklists with boxes to check out, tables and columns, etc. 
• The fonts and colors can also be modified conveniently without any hassles. 
• The templates ease the process of creating notes from scratch with readily available formats.

3. Scan & Sort Your Notes

Let's just admit the fact that any notes app that you choose can get a little messy and all over the place if you're not paying much attention to organizing and categorizing them appropriately. 

However, the availability of numerous features enables better maintenance and sorting of written notes. This means you can easily store your to-do lists, memos, and newly added articles, without worrying about jumbling them up.

Google Keep

• If your job or note-taking requires storing of many distinct notes for improved management, it's apparent that your dashboard is going to look out of place. 
• Saving you from the clutter caused due to unorganized notes, Google Keep with its color-coding features helps identify which notes are more important than the others.
• An added advantage is that you can even prioritize your notes based on different dimensions. 
• If a particular set of notes are more important, you can assign all of them the same color, similarly, groups of relatively less important notes can be paired with a different color. 
• In this manner, one can even categorize their notes based on the purpose of usage, whether it's personal, business-oriented, or any other preferences. 
• While this speeds the scanning process by reaching you to the notes that you're seeking, it can further list your notes with the titles you add. 
• By sorting your notes, its left navigation bar lets you pull up notes with similar labels. 
• With customizable sorting options, one can scan their notes conveniently. If you are unable to customize or sort with color-codes and titles then one can also use the search bar to type in keywords or relevant words.

Evernote

• Similar to Google Keep's approach at sorting with labels, Evernote consists of notebooks functioning like files or folders to your saved note.
• However, where Google Keep limits its sorting features at color-coding, Evernote expands the scope by offering efficient scanning with the help of tags attached to your notes. 
• Just like the tags created on Instagram, it's as simple as adding relevant tags with commas for separating them. 
• Going further, you can easily type in the tags, filter, and view the group of notes with that similar tag. 
• The search options along with filtering are also more diverse and extensive in comparison with Google Keep. 
• This lets you create an endless number of notes without worrying about them being misplaced.
• With sorting options that vary from alphabetical orders of your titles, the dates and time that the note was created or modified are also listed in ascending or describing order for display and scanning.
• On upgrading to its premium plans, it optimizes its search with the inclusion of scanned notes, handwritten and scanned notes, as well as Pdf formats.
• While this explains exactly why Google Keep is known to be simpler in its approach, it also gives an overview of all the distinct sorting features offered by Evernote. 
• What can be confirmed, however, is that both their features do bring out the best with their display and usage patterns.

4. Set Reminders

While we talk about setting reminders, Google Keep certainly gains an additional point with its competent model for reminders while Evernote, on the other end, keeps it more subtle. Although this might not be a deciding factor if your work is more oriented with the usage of notes rather than reminders.

On the contrary, if you are seeking an app that encourages you to create notes, to-do lists, and other checklists to manage your time more proficiently with reminders then it can play a huge role in your final decision.

Google Keep

• Google Keep with the assistance of its Google Support and other services automatically syncs the dates and timings and sets up a reminder with your Google Calendar. 
• This enhances your time management skills with your ability to plan events in accordance with the reminders displayed in the calendar.
• By allowing you to choose from a different time and date categories, it also authorizes setting up general reminders throughout the day or night. 
• This means one can simply fix timers in the afternoons, late nights, evenings, or even in the mornings, with or without an allocated timing.
• What makes it so powerful is its capacity to self-time reminders on the basis of a location. 
• These location-specific timers are created with particular locations and once you reach the given location, it automatically activates your reminder. 
• Suppose, you have certain tasks planned to execute once you reach your workplace, you can just set up a location-specific reminder end get notified. 
• All you have to do is set up an address to your reminder, once your GPS updates the completion of your journey, a reminder pops up onto your device.

Evernote

• Although Evernote's reminder feature is not as advanced in comparison to Google Keep, however, it still encompasses reminders as a simplified segment of its services. 
• By assigning a particular time and date while forming or updating your notes, it's easy to set up reminders. 
• The user is then notified through email or with pop-ups appearing on their desktop system or other devices with its mobile application. 
• Evernote is restrictive in its approach, with its inability to sync with Google Calendar as it is not part of its services. 
• However, it does bridge the gap with the help of Zapier that lets you mark your events along with Evernote's access to mark reminders on Google Calendar. 
• Yet another disadvantage that comes with Evernote is that, where it once endorsed reminders with its beta version, it no longer facilitates the same support. 
• This implies the new update has outdated the reminder function. 
• However, there are certain changes in settings that one can make to regain support. 
• To make these changes in your settings, go to your mobile or web app and navigate to the account settings. Once you get there, click the option that reads, 'You're using the new Evernote beta version' and view the options listed under it. From the given options choose, 'Go back to the current beta version'.  This will let you utilize its services efficiently and set reminders without any issues.

5. Storage Capacity 

Users yet again have an advantage over Evernote users as Google Keep extends support with the aid of Google Account in assuring that your notes have sufficient storage space. Evernote limits the space offered to the uses on a monthly basis to ensure smooth functioning.

Here's a segment that is highly crucial as it indicates how your work or personal user experience will turn out to be with your notes app. With storage capacity being the key indicator of how one will be able to take down notes without too many storage barriers, evaluating both the softwares can help steer clear of any future disappointments. While both the softwares are known to have implied certain storage limits in terms of its usage, these limits are incredibly distinct between the two.

Google Keep

• The storage limit facilitated by Google Keep is linked to your Google account's storage capacity. 
• Each Google account generally offers storage of 15 GB, which is free of any charge. 
• However, this storage is shared with all of Google's services. 
• This implies the 15 GB is facilitated for all of its services like Google Photos, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Keep, etc. 
• Users with Google's suite services have comparatively more storage.
• One can also pay for additional storage when their storage space falls short.
• The good news, however, is that with the notes app being a platform that stores more textual content, the chances of running out of space with the bare minimum space that your notes occupy is extremely low. 
• This indicates you can save up a vast number of notes and still take up little space. 
• Google Keep encourages extensive use of notes without consumption of much space which makes it more ideal for individuals seeking an app that stores hefty notes.

Evernote

• Evernote's storage capacity is facilitated by limitations placed by its various pricing plans. 
• Starting with its free and basic plan, it enables the creation of notes with a monthly limit of 60 MB. 
• Further, the extent of the notes is also restrictive with a barred limit of 25 MB. 
• This implies your notes cannot surpass the given limit of 25 MB and for storage requirements post that, one can move onto Evernote's upgraded premium plan for a boost of 10GB storage each month, and your notes can go up to 200 MB of permissible space.
• The storage restrictions placed by Evernote are quite explanatory and reasonable in comparison to Google Keep's expanded textual storage space. 
• Evernote on the other end encompasses that diverse features inclusive of scanners that let you save up any documents. 
• This of course takes up more storage space backed to its server.
• Another limitation to Evernote is that it authorizes you to use its mobile app services on only 2 devices, Google Keep doesn't place any such restrictions, however, it has no app assigned for a desktop, which means one has to utilize the web app.

Web Clippers

• Yet again, Evernote diversified its features and choices when it comes to web clippers. Google-drive users of course take pleasure in Google Keep's simplified yet efficient services. Favorably both the softwares provide web clippers to their users. 
• Its browser extensions proficiently enable storing of images, texts, articles, etc that you discover while browsing and scrolling the internet. Of course, Google Keep and Evernote, both offer a varied set of features and options.
• With support extended to just Chrome, Google Keep's Web Clipper restricts your ability to save interesting browsed details. 
• Evernote expands its services with Web Clippers that functions incredibly well with leading browsers like Safari, Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, IE7 plus, Opera, and many more. 
• This can surely aid in finalizing your decision, if you're hunting for a notes app that extends its Web Clipper to more browsers than just Chrome, then you have a clear winner here. 
• On the other hand, if you're note-taking doesn't involve a lot of usages oriented to web clippers then it wouldn't make much of a difference.
• Google Keep and Evernote, both with their competent web clipper tools enable you to associate with pages within the online domain and lets you store them as bookmarks in their tools. 
• These bookmarks are stored with their heading and its link attached to your notes. 
• Other than the bookmarks, it also lets you save text content from any web page. 
• Further, these web clippers allow storing of images as well from web pages accessible from the given browsers. 
• This implies you can refer to these saved bookmarks with links and headings along with saved text and images at any given point in time. These services are facilitated by both the softwares.
• As mentioned earlier, Evernote advances its web clippers with diversified services. 
• Some of its other features involve the ability to store screenshots captured of the browsed web pages, while Google Keep skips these options. 
• Evernote also lets you select options that assure storage of the entire texts from a given web page on your notes. 
• Its advanced features confirm that when you save the entire text, it also captures the images along with the textual content. This makes sure that you don't miss out on anything from the web page.
• Evernote's interface empowers the web clippers to offer more dynamic and personalizable features. 
• These web clippers let you attach clips to any of your created notebooks. 
• Additionally, one can also add tags onto your notes along with personalized remarks added for future reference. 
• All of these features can be utilized with Evernote's web clippers and their robust interface. 
• While Google Keep also offers customizable features, which enables you to implement the use of its distinct features alongside its web clipper. 
• Similar to Evernote's approach, Google Keep also allows the addition of remarks to your notes along with specific labels added for improved sorting. Both these features are also permissible within the web clipper. 
• However, Google Keep also lets you color-code your saved web content and add reminders to it. The only difference is that this latter of the features can only be administered from the mobile or web version of the application.

9. Collaboration

Collaborating with Google Keep's Services

• To allow enhanced collaborations, Google Keep teams up with Google Docs to share your notes more handily. 
• With an option available within the application to add your client's email address, they can access, view, or edit your notes, without any problems.

Collaborating with Evernote's Services

• From our experience, Evernote makes collaborating with external parties a bit more tough. 
• With a button situated within the app, one can enter email addresses and create links that are easily shareable. 
• Although the steps involved are more than that of Google Keep, its services are still recommended for businesses that are seeking efficient options to collaborate through notes.

Comparison between Google Keep and Evernote

• In terms of display, Google Keep orients users with a screen full of notes like post-its sticky notes. While Evernote stores its notes in the form of a notebook.
• Google Keep simplifies the sorting and navigation of notes, Evernote on the other end, magnifies the features linked to searching and sorting notes with more options.
• Unlike all of Evernote's other services, its reminder settings are comparatively restrictive in its scope while Google Keep excels at setting reminders with its powerful model.  
• With Google Account's combined storage facility, one certainly won't have to worry about running out of space with Google Keep. Evernote sets monthly storage restrictions to mark its capacity. However, the limits placed by Evernote are valid as they use a wide range of services like scanners that increases the storage onto its server. Therefore, to encourage smooth functioning with its server, it regulates storage limits.
• Another bonus point to Google's Keep is that it has no limitation on the number of installations made on distinct devices. Evernote allows up to 2 devices to install its mobile app, although they can access the web-based app. A downfall to Google Keep is that it has no desktop app, it enables usage of its web app.
• When it comes to web slippers, Evernote outdoes with its varied features. Google Keep masters its services with its simplified features.
• Talking about third-party integrations, Evernote integrates with many third-party applications to make its services more versatile. Google Keep limits its association to its other Google services.
• Despite all the premium services that come with Google Keep, its note-taking and all of its other features are completely free for use. Evernote although encompasses a free version of its plan, its other services are priced with tiered plans.
• Both the softwares, Google Keep and Evernote allow storage of extensions to your notes. Where Google Keep enables rapid and easy saving of extensions, Evernote furnishes the users with more options and even more actions in the saving of extensions.
• If you're running a business and need to collaborate with the clients, these notes let you skillfully address your work and administer enhanced undertakings. While Google Keep makes the collaboration process very convenient by adding any external parties and allowing them to view and modify your notes. Evernote comparatively makes the process harder.

We've seen that although both the software services work towards the same goal, it is not just their display and pattern of note-taking that differs. All of their features, settings, capabilities vary vastly. With all of the simplified services offered by Google Keep, it's free accessibility makes sense. While Evernote validates the prices charged to conform with its diverse ambit of operations. 

Benefits of the Notes app

• Let's admit the fact that these notes app have revolutionized the act of writing down elements, widening its expanse even more, here are some of its additional benefits;
• Enables you to create a note, update, organize and save it at any given point in time
• Organize your pages separately by naming the pages and formatting the data, choosing appropriate fonts or colors to highlight important statements
• It automatically saves changes, shows the time when it was last modified, and lets you save data without any limits or storage issues.
• With vivid features that allow you to use functions like cutting, copying, pasting the written statements. Further, one can also insert images or diagrams to present the data well.
• Most notes apps let you transform your writings into other files like Pdf. 
• The pages are also shareable and can be accessed from different devices as per your needs
• Can be used efficiently as a planner as it enables the organizing of writing with columns, pages, etc. This, in turn, extends easy organizing and management of your tasks.
• Its usage is extremely widespread, so much that one certainly can't create an exhaustive list of its purpose. It can be used to jot down anything and everything.
• Can be optimized with additional features like talk-to-text and readable text to voice.

How to pick the best notes app?

Now that we've witnessed the power that a notes app arrives with, its ocean full of benefits and how it forms to be one of the most resourceful software. You're probably stuck with the question, how do I know which is the best notes app? Although your ideal choice would depend on your preferences and usage patterns, we've put together our guide to help you learn about the top notes software. 

Before we get onto that, let's quickly run through some aspects in determining what's more suitable for you;

Identify your purpose - Asking yourself questions like, what would be the prime point of usage? Are you using it to make your to-do list and plan your activities? Would the usage be oriented with business or formal means like taking down minutes, writing poems or articles, or would you be using it as a personal reminder, planner, organizer or just to note down some points on an immediate basis? Depending on the purpose, you can decide what seems like an ideal choice. In terms of personal use, you can be flexible with your choices while businesses might have a certain set of requirements and preferences that you need to follow.

What's your method of note-taking? Notes contribute to diverse uses and depending on the category of usage, your method or style of note-taking also differs. Suppose you're managing a list of candidates for your firm, it would be more efficient if your notes app is capable of forming distinct columns and tables. This helps sort the data and refers to it more impactfully. On the other hand, if you were to maintain the same list on a blank page, it can get confusing to identify each candidate and their details. Considering a notes app that has the functions enabling forming of tables and columns can be the right choice for you, similarly, if you have a certain writing style, the functions extended can determine whether it is a right fit for you.

Fonts and Other Features - What are your requirements with font, case usage, color themes, and other features? If you're up for some fancy looking pages, you can go with the app that diversifies its approach with more options to choose from.

Additional Requirements - Determining other relevant requirements that you're specifically looking for can assist in narrowing down your choices.  Are you looking for notes that permit sharing, copying, pasting of pages? Or are there any other essential features?

Once you've determined the answers to these questions, you'll be able to consider softwares capable of offering your preferential features. To further enlighten you with the best notes software, we have conducted a thorough study and analysis. The best notes software is not just one but two competitors with incredibly proficient functions and features; Google Keep and Evernote.

While both the softwares have enhanced the process of note-taking with accessible pages, broadening the scope of usage by gaining distinct groups of users. To keep you notified of their performance, we have elaborated on their unique features and services.

Final Words