GoKawiilMegan Ellis / Android Authority
Not all note-taking apps are created equal when it comes to privacy. Google Keep, for example, isn’t as private as you may think. Sure, the chances of someone hacking into your account are minimized thanks to things like 2FA, but people seem to forget that Google has full access to the contents of their account.
I guess one could argue that it’s not a big deal, especially if your Keep account doesn’t store anything sensitive, like medical or financial records. Besides, Google has strict privacy guidelines, so it’s not like its employees are reading your notes during their lunch break — I hope. Still, the company can access your data if it wants to, so you have to trust that it won’t do it randomly on a slow Tuesday. It will, however, hand over your data if it receives a subpoena, as required by law.
I’ve been putting privacy at the forefront lately, which is why I’m waving goodbye to Keep and most of Google’s apps. If you’re in the same boat as me, I want to walk you through the five best Google Keep alternatives you can switch to, regardless of whether you want a simple note-taking app or something that’s a bit more feature-packed.
Are you thinking of moving away from Google Keep? 12 votes Yes, for security reasons. 25 % Yes, but for other reasons. 8 % No, I'm staying with Google Keep. 25 % I don't use Google Keep. 42 %
Obsidian
Bogdan Petrovan / Android Authority
This is the one I’m currently using, so I am putting it at number one. However, I’ll start off by saying that it’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea.
Obsidian is very different than Keep. It’s local-first, which means all your data is stored on your device (phone, laptop, tablet) by default, making sure Obsidian can’t see it. You don’t even have to make an account to use it, and it’s free. Sounds great, right? Well, the issue is that you won’t be able to access your notes from multiple devices, and if that’s a priority — it is mine — you’ll have to sign up for Obsidian’s Sync plan.
Here’s where the free part ends. Syncing costs money, so you’ll need a subscription that starts at $4 per month. The good news is that Obsidian offers end-to-end encryption that Keep lacks, so despite your data being stored on the company’s servers, Obsidian employees cannot see it even if they wanted to. The app offers complete privacy, but you’ll have to pay for it.
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