# Microsoft OneNote vs Google Keep

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Google Keep at none against Microsoft OneNote's 3. Microsoft OneNote's advantage is ratings volume (1.1M vs 29K) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft OneNote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Google Keep asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Microsoft OneNote against 4.6 for Google Keep. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft OneNote has 1.1M ratings behind it against 29K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Microsoft OneNote's written reviews are positive against 42% of Google Keep's.

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, Google Keep every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft OneNote | Google Keep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.1M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246/reviews)** | [4.6 (29K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-keep-notes-and-lists/id1029207872/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1M** | 29K |
| Positive reviews | **44.6% of reviews** | 42.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#68** | #74 |
| Size | 409 MB | 212 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Google](https://appshunter.io/developer/281956209) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft OneNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-onenote/id410395246)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture thoughts, ideas, and plans in a digital notepad. Organize, search, and secure your notes, memos, and sketches. Sync across devices for access anywhere, anytime. Collaborate with others on shared notepads.

**Highlights:** Capture thoughts and ideas, Digital sketchbook, Organize and search notes, Sync notes via OneDrive, Collaborate on shared notepads, Handwritten notes and drawings

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $9.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | $11.99 | per month |
| Microsoft 365 Family | $12.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple, works well
- 👍 Great for planning
- 👍 Powerful note-taking app
- 👍 Invaluable tool for note taking
- 👍 Used for years, couldn't be without this app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔨 Could be better
- 🔨 Formatting issues on mobile app
- 🔨 Buggy widget, no dark app icon
- 🐛 Glitchy, crashes often
- 🐛 Terrible sync speeds

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor positioning is erratic
- Search function does not work well
- Ink to text conversion missing on iPad
- Syncing issues, notes not syncing properly across devices
- Crashing, freezing, and performance issues

**Requested features**

- Native Markdown support and merged cell support
- Ruler, ability to choose or create notebook covers
- Ability to password protect app or individual notebooks
- Option to open on last opened page instead of Home
- Ability to turn note into task that appears on To Do and Planner


### Google Keep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-keep-notes-and-lists/id1029207872)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, edit, and share notes and lists across all your devices. Organize with labels and colors, and set time or location-based reminders. Collaborate with others in real-time for shared tasks.

**Highlights:** Capture notes, lists, photos, and audio, Organize with labels and colors, Set time and location-based reminders, Collaborate on notes and lists, Transcribe voice memos, Extract text from images

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lean and efficient
- 👍 Minimalistic and easy to use
- 🤝 Good for collaboration
- 💡 Useful for note-taking and lists

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔄 Sync issues and data loss
- 🕰️ Slow performance and lag
- 📱 Limited functionality on mobile
- 🔒 Lack of security features

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly duplicating or disappearing
- Checkboxes not working as expected
- Keyboard issues and text input problems
- Refresh failures and connectivity problems

**Requested features**

- Add support for widgets
- Improve text formatting options
- Introduce folder/category organization
- Enable password protection for notes
- Enhance search and sorting capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft OneNote free?

Microsoft OneNote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Google Keep free?

Google Keep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft OneNote or Google Keep?

Microsoft OneNote is rated higher. Microsoft OneNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.1M ratings, while Google Keep averages 4.6 from 29K ratings.

### Do Microsoft OneNote or Google Keep have ads?

Neither Microsoft OneNote nor Google Keep shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft OneNote or Google Keep?

Microsoft OneNote ships an update weekly, and Google Keep every 6 days. Most recently, Microsoft OneNote was updated on October 15, 2026 and Google Keep on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Microsoft OneNote or Google Keep?

Microsoft OneNote currently peaks at #68 in the App Store charts, and Google Keep at #74. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*