Standard Notes
Free tier Our pickEnd-to-end encrypted notes that sync everywhere and will still open in twenty years. Free tier covers plain notes.
Notes: replace Google Keep
6 private options, our pick first. Every download link goes straight to the source — F-Droid, the developer's GitHub releases (one tap into Obtainium), the Play listing you can install anonymously through Aurora Store, or the official site. None of these are affiliate links. Updated October 2026.
These Google Keep alternatives are for quick lists, ideas and longer notes on Android without a Google account in the middle. Standard Notes and Notesnook sync with end-to-end encryption. Joplin syncs through a service you choose, including your own server. Markor and Fossify Notes keep everything on the phone.
The trade-off is sync versus simplicity. Encrypted sync is safe but adds an account and a password you must not lose. Local-only apps are as private as it gets but need a backup plan. Most people in 2026 can replace Keep in an evening.
Notesnook
Free tierEncrypted with a friendlier editor — closest to Keep's feel.
Joplin
FreeFree, markdown-based, syncs through anything — including your own server.
Markor
FreePlain markdown files in a folder you choose. Pair it with Syncthing and your notes never touch a server.
Fossify Notes
FreeDead-simple offline notes and checklists — the Keep replacement for people who just want a notepad.
Obsidian
Free tierLocal markdown vault with links and plugins. Closed source, but files stay on your phone; paid sync is optional.
How to switch from Google Keep
- Export your notes with Google Takeout, selecting only Keep. Each note arrives as an HTML file and a JSON file, with images and other attachments stored alongside.
- Import into the new app. Standard Notes and Notesnook both document a Google Keep import that reads Takeout files; check their help pages for exactly which files to select.
- Check labels, checklists, colors and pinned notes after the import. Importers differ in what they carry over, so expect to tidy up a few notes by hand.
- If the new app offers a widget or a quick-note shortcut, add it to the home screen. Keep is mostly about speed, and the replacement has to be just as quick to open.
- Turn on sync or set up backups. For Markor, point Syncthing-Fork at the notes folder. For synced apps, confirm that a note written on the phone appears on your computer.
- Once everything checks out, delete your notes from Keep and remove the app, so new notes stop landing there out of habit.
Notes questions
Will my Keep reminders move over?
Probably not as working reminders. Takeout exports note text and attachments, and importers may not recreate time-based alerts. Check a few notes that had reminders after the import. For anything with a due date, a task app such as Tasks.org, with proper reminders and widgets, is usually the better home than a notes app.
Are encrypted notes apps harder to use than Keep?
Not day to day. Notesnook in particular aims for a Keep-like feel with a friendly editor. The differences show up at sign-in and recovery: your password protects the encryption key, so if you lose it, the provider can't reset access to old notes in the usual way. Store the password and any recovery key in a password manager.
Can I keep my notes completely offline?
Yes. Markor saves plain Markdown files in a folder you choose, and Fossify Notes stores notes on the device with no account. Nothing leaves the phone unless you add sync yourself, for example with Syncthing-Fork. The cost is backups: if the phone is lost and nothing was copied elsewhere, the notes go with it.