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

Last updated November 2026

Obsidian and Google Keep sit at opposite ends of the note-taking spectrum. Keep is built for speed: a grid of short, colourful notes and checklists that sync instantly through your Google account. Obsidian is built for depth: a folder of plain Markdown files on your own device, with links between notes, a graph of your ideas and thousands of plugins. People often compare them when they have been using Keep for years and wonder whether it is time to build something more serious.

This page compares the two directly so you can decide which fits how you think and work.

Quick verdict

Choose Google Keep if you want quick notes, checklists, shared lists and reminders with no setup, for free.

Choose Obsidian if you want to own your notes as local files, connect ideas with links, and build a long-term knowledge base you can customise endlessly.

Consider Fabric if you want more than Keep without Obsidian's setup: notes, files, screenshots and links in one place, organised automatically and searchable by describing them.

Comparison table

Platforms

Obsidian has native apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android. Your notes are files in a folder called a vault, so they work fully offline. There is no web app.

Google Keep runs on Android, iPhone, iPad, the web and Wear OS. There is no desktop app for Windows or Mac, but the web version and the side panel in Gmail, Docs and Calendar cover most needs.

Winner: Obsidian for desktop users, Google Keep for phone-first users and anyone who wants a browser version.

Organisation

Obsidian gives you folders, tags, note properties and, above all, links. Type two square brackets and you can link any note to any other, and every note shows its backlinks. The graph view maps how your ideas connect. The Bases core plugin adds database-style table and card views built from note properties.

Google Keep uses labels, colours, pins and an archive. There are no folders and no way to link notes to each other.

Winner: Obsidian, by a wide margin.

Capture

Google Keep is one of the fastest capture apps available. Open it and type, tap a widget, dictate through Google Assistant, or add a list item from your watch.

Obsidian is slower to capture into, especially on mobile, where the app has to open your vault before you can start writing. Daily notes, templates and community plugins such as QuickAdd help, and many Obsidian users still keep a quick-capture app alongside it.

Winner: Google Keep.

Search

Obsidian has fast full-text search across your vault, with operators for paths, tags, properties and sections. Search inside PDFs and images needs community plugins. Because everything is a text file, you can also search your notes with any desktop tool.

Google Keep searches note text and filters by type, label, colour and collaborator. It does not index text inside every image, and "Find in note" for searching within a long note only arrived on Android in August 2026.

Winner: Obsidian. Neither searches by meaning out of the box.

Files and attachments

Obsidian can hold PDFs, images, audio, video and any other file in your vault, and embed them in notes. Because the vault is an ordinary folder, files stay accessible outside the app.

Google Keep supports images, drawings and voice recordings. It cannot store PDFs or documents, and notes are capped at around 20,000 characters.

Winner: Obsidian.

Collaboration

Google Keep makes sharing simple. Share any note or list with another Google account and both of you can edit it in real time. It is one of the best free apps for shared shopping lists.

Obsidian is built for individuals. Obsidian Sync supports shared vaults, but there is no real-time co-editing of a single note in the way Keep or Google Docs offer, and the other person needs Obsidian too.

Winner: Google Keep.

Reminders and tasks

Google Keep lets you set time-based and repeating reminders on any note. Since October 2025 they are saved to Google Tasks and notify you through Tasks or Calendar. Location reminders were removed.

Obsidian has checkboxes in Markdown, and community plugins such as Tasks and Reminder add due dates, queries and notifications. It works well once set up, but none of it is built in.

Winner: Google Keep for simplicity.

AI features

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.

Obsidian has no built-in AI. Community plugins connect your vault to AI models, including local models, so you can chat with your notes or generate text, but you set them up and often pay for the model yourself.

Winner: tie. Keep's AI is easier, Obsidian's is more flexible.

Privacy and ownership

Obsidian stores your notes as plain files on your device. Nothing leaves your computer unless you choose to sync it, and Obsidian Sync uses end-to-end encryption. You will always be able to open your notes with any text editor, even if Obsidian disappears.

Google Keep stores notes on Google's servers, encrypted in transit and at rest but not end-to-end encrypted. You can export them with Google Takeout as HTML and JSON.

Winner: Obsidian.

Pricing

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

Obsidian is free for personal and work use, and has been since February 2025. Optional extras are Obsidian Sync, which starts at $4 per month billed annually ($5 monthly) for one vault and 1 GB, with a larger Sync Plus tier above it, and Obsidian Publish at $8 per site per month billed annually ($10 monthly). An optional commercial licence is $50 per user per year for organisations that want to support development. You can also sync your vault for free with iCloud, Syncthing or Git.

Winner: Google Keep for zero cost with sync included, although Obsidian is free if you handle sync yourself.

Who should choose Obsidian

Writers, researchers and students building a long-term body of notes that connect to each other.

People who care about ownership. Your notes are plain files you control forever.

Tinkerers. If you enjoy customising your tools with plugins, themes and templates, Obsidian rewards the effort.

See also Fabric vs Obsidian, Notion vs Obsidian, Obsidian vs Bear and Obsidian vs Logseq.

Who should choose Google Keep

Anyone who wants zero setup. Keep works the moment you open it.

List makers and households. Checklists and shared lists are where Keep shines.

Android users. It is already on your phone and fits into Google's apps.

Read our full Google Keep review.

A third option: Fabric

Many people who outgrow Keep look at Obsidian and find the setup is more than they want. Fabric sits between the two. Capture is close to Keep's speed, with the share sheet, web clipper, voice notes and email. Notes sit alongside PDFs, documents, screenshots and videos, and smart organisation tags and groups them for you, so there is no system to build. AI search finds anything by describing it, including content inside files and images, and the AI assistant answers questions across everything you have saved. Fabric has a free tier, and paid plans start at $8 per month billed yearly. See Fabric vs Obsidian and Fabric vs Google Keep.

Frequently asked questions

Is Obsidian better than Google Keep?

For building a long-term knowledge base, yes. Obsidian has folders, links between notes, file attachments, powerful search and complete ownership of your data. For quick notes, shared lists and reminders, Google Keep is faster and simpler.

Is Obsidian free?

Yes. Obsidian is free for personal and commercial use. Obsidian Sync, which starts at $4 per month billed annually, and Obsidian Publish, at $8 per site per month billed annually, are optional paid add-ons.

Is Google Keep free?

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

Can I use Obsidian and Google Keep together?

Yes, and many people do. A common setup is to capture quick thoughts and lists in Keep, then move anything worth keeping into Obsidian during a weekly review.

Can I import Google Keep notes into Obsidian?

Yes. Export your notes with Google Takeout, then use Obsidian's official Importer plugin, which supports Google Keep and converts your notes to Markdown, including labels and attachments.

Does Obsidian work on Android?

Yes. Obsidian has apps for Android, iPhone and iPad, as well as Windows, Mac and Linux.

Does Obsidian have a web version?

No. Obsidian runs as a native app on desktop and mobile. Google Keep has a web version at keep.google.com.

Which is more private, Obsidian or Google Keep?

Obsidian. Your notes are stored as local files on your device, and Obsidian Sync is end-to-end encrypted. Google Keep notes are stored on Google's servers without end-to-end encryption.

Can Obsidian set reminders like Google Keep?

Not out of the box. Community plugins such as Reminder and Tasks add due dates and notifications. Google Keep has reminders built in, saved to Google Tasks.

Is Obsidian hard to learn?

The basics are simple: you write in Markdown and link notes with double square brackets. The difficulty comes from the number of choices. Many people spend more time setting up Obsidian than using it at first. See Obsidian is not for everyone.

Does Obsidian have AI?

Not built in. Community plugins connect Obsidian to AI models, including ones that run locally. Google Keep's Gemini features are built in but need a paid Google AI plan.

Related pages

Best Google Keep alternatives · Google Keep review · Fabric vs Google Keep · Fabric vs Obsidian · Notion vs Google Keep · Evernote vs Google Keep · Apple Notes vs Google Keep · OneNote vs Google Keep · Notion vs Obsidian · Best second brain app · Build a second brain