Even though things are going south for Evernote, it continues to be the number one competitor to Keep. Google has renamed Keep to Google Keep Notes recently (just Google things, you know). So what all does Evernote offer that makes it such a good competitor? Let’s see in this comparison post where we compare Evernote against Keep in 2018.
Availability
It’s 2018, and Google still hasn’t provided us with a desktop version of the Keep app. Ugh! Keeping that grudge aside, let’s focus on the good things. Keep is available for these platforms — Android, iOS, web, and there’s a Chrome extension too. Download Google Keep on Android Download Google Keep on iOS Evernote is a step ahead of Keep as it is available for Microsoft Windows as well. Other than that, you can access it on Android, iOS, web and the Chrome extension. Download Evernote on Android Download Evernote on iOS
User Interface
A remarkable difference exists in the user interface of the two apps. That’s because they are designed for two separate things. Google Keep works best for short or quick notes, and you have Evernote for longer notes. Keep’s user interface reminds of sticky notes in a digital format. If you have used Pinterest, the home screen will feel familiar to that. You get the card layout having irregularly sized cards. In my opinion, it’s best suited for web version and not for mobile. But, yes, you get an option to change it to list view, which again has asymmetrical list items. These cards change size depending on the length of the note. Coming to Evernote, it has the usual symmetrical list format to show notes. However, you can customize the details that should be visible in the note preview, and that’s one of the features missing in Keep. For instance, you can have images, tags, note size, etc. Further, you can also sort the notes in many ways here. In Keep, the default order to sort notes is by recently modified, and you cannot change it to anything else. However, you can drag the notes to change their position.
Speed
Evernote still feels slow compared to the Keep which is snappier. From creating the note to editing it, everything feels spiffy in Keep. I like how you can directly create a note in Keep by tapping any of the note-creation tools at the bottom. In the case of Evernote, you have to tap on the Add button first and then choose the type of note that you want to create. Same goes for saving the notes. In Keep, you need to press the back button, and the note will be saved automatically. In Evernote, you have to tap the save button else your note won’t be saved. Many times, I have accidentally made changes to my notes in Keep and pressed the back key which resulted in saving changes in the wrong note. That’s where Evernote shines since you have to confirm the changes if you happen to press the back button by mistake. The other downside about Keep is that organizing the notes by folders is not possible.
Customization and Formatting
There is no doubt that Evernote is full of features. You name it and the app has it. Further, it lets you customize everything. Be it the add button, view options, toolbar, etc. Talking about the toolbar, Evernote includes text formatting tools such as bold, italic, alignment, etc. Sadly, Keep lacks customization and formatting both.
Attachments
Evernote is ahead of Keep even in terms of the attachment options that it offers. You can attach file to your note. On the contrary, in Keep, you can only attach an image or add voice to your notes. Both support handwritten notes though.
Organization
Another area where both apps differ is organization. I like to organize my notes in folders, and sadly, Keep still hasn’t introduced this feature. It continues with the old tags (hashtag) and color coding. In addition to tags, Evernote also supports notebooks. These notebooks are standard folders or categories to organize your notes. It doesn’t have a sub-folder system though.
To-Do Lists and Reminders
Both the apps support to-do lists and reminders with minor differences. In Keep, there is no way to-do lists will let you add text without a checkbox in front of it. Thankfully, Evernote doesn’t have this restriction. But if you don’t like either, try Google’s recently introduced a dedicated tasks app with powerful features. In case of reminders, Keep offers both location and time-based reminders and lets you set recurring reminders. Evernote only supports time-based reminders and lacks recurring reminders.
Collaboration
While both the apps let you collaborate and work with others, Evernote offers a couple of more features and a dedicated work chat.
Price
Pricing changes everything. While Evernote looks all good and attractive, many users have switched to its alternatives, since the day Evernote changed its pricing plan. Currently, you can add only up to 60MB data in the free account and is limited to two devices. Also, some of the features are locked to the premium version. But the good news is that they recently slashed the price of premium account. On the contrary, there is no premium variant of Keep. All the features are available for free, and you can use it on unlimited devices as long as you have a Google account.
Which One to Use?
I prefer both. I use Google Keep for taking small notes and when I have to write something in a hurry. On the other hand, Evernote is like a digital filing cabinet where I store all the important notes that I’m going to use later. There are significant differences between the two apps. So choose the one that suits your needs and requirements.
