European Alternatives to Google Keep
Google's lightweight note-taking service, integrated with Gmail, Docs and Drive. Quick notes, lists, time- or location-based reminders.
Google Keep Features
- Free with a Google account
- Text, list, voice and drawing notes
- Time- or location-based reminders
- Sync with Gmail, Drive, Docs
- Gemini Personal Intelligence accesses notes (April 2026)
- Proprietary source code
Price: Free (with Google account, shares 15 GB Drive)
Why leave Google Keep?
- Since April 2026, Gemini Personal Intelligence accesses your Keep notes to personalize its responses
- Data stored in the US, subject to the CLOUD Act which lets authorities access your notes
- Your notes indirectly feed your Google ad profile (through behavioral signaling)
- No end-to-end encryption — Google can read the contents of your notes
- No native desktop app — web and mobile only, Google ecosystem lock-in
Recommended : Joplin
Mature open-source note-taking app, created by French developer Laurent Cozic in 2016. Native Markdown, optional E2E encryption, flexible sync.
Country : FR
Compatibility Scores
- Migration : 80/100
- GDPR : 95/100
- Features : 85/100
- Overall Score : 87/100
Joplin Features
- Free iOS/Android/macOS/Windows/Linux apps
- Native Markdown with live preview
- Optional E2E encryption across all backends
- Flexible sync: Joplin Cloud (Paris), Nextcloud, Dropbox, WebDAV
- Chrome/Firefox Web Clipper
- Open source, founded by a French developer
Price: Free (apps + self-hosted sync) / Joplin Cloud Basic at 2,40€/month (annual) or 2,99€/month
Why this choice?
Joplin is our recommendation for Google Keep users because it's a mature open-source app created by a French developer, with comparable functionality (notes, lists, web clipper). Your notes do not feed Gemini Personal Intelligence, and Joplin Cloud is hosted in Paris under French GDPR jurisdiction. Bonus: Joplin has native desktop apps (Windows/Linux/macOS) that Keep lacks.
Switch from Google Keep to Joplin
Strengths
- No Gemini on your notes (Google Keep feeds Gemini Personal Intelligence)
- Free cross-platform apps including desktop (Keep is web/mobile only)
- Native Markdown + optional E2E encryption
- Joplin Cloud hosted in Paris (French GDPR)
- Web Clipper to capture like Keep, but without Google tracking
Weaknesses
- Voice notes not as quick as Keep
- No native location-based reminders
- Less immediately intuitive UI
All Alternatives
- Joplin (FR) — Score : 87/100 (Recommended)
- Standard Notes (CH) — Score : 82/100
- AnyType (CH) — Score : 77/100