What is the Difference Between Google Keep and Tasks?

You’re not alone if you’re confused about why Google has multiple to-do apps. On the surface, Google Keep and Google Tasks have the same purpose.

But when you consider that Google has a history of launching two similar apps simultaneously, you understand that differences exist, only they’re subtle.

To highlight these differences, you’ll see a series of questions. The answers will show how Google Keep and Tasks differ and help you decide which app best suits your needs.

Do You Prefer Structured or Unstructured Outline?

Before further examining the main differences between Google Keep and Google Tasks, let’s see what they have in common. Both Google products are designed to help you create quick lists with to-do tasks.

You can also add subtasks in Keep as well as Tasks. Another relevant similarity, as with every Google product, is that they’re available across all Google apps and platforms, including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive.

But as the name implies, Google Tasks is more specifically task-oriented. And when it comes to task management, it isn’t easy to compete with it. Google Keep is great for lists, too, but the focus is more on creating notes in general.

And sure, some of those notes will be daily tasks and to-do lists. Essentially, Google Tasks is probably a better choice for people who need a tool to help them achieve their goals and those who are hyper-focused on completing their checklists.

On the other hand, Google Keep is there to let you jot down an idea or a rhyme that popped into your head before you forget it.

Is Design Important to You?

You could argue that design is essential to everyone. But in terms of Google Tasks and Keep, this is where we see more obvious differences. Tasks feature a pretty minimalistic approach to design.

The interface is easy to navigate, and you’ll never struggle to find what you want. With Google Keep, you get the so-called “poster format” and can organize all your notes with unique labels and hashtags and even color-code them.

Tasks don’t have any of that, and the only way to organize your lists and tasks is by date or if you create a custom order.

You could say that Google Keeps is more visually appealing and has more customization options. But that’s exactly what some users will find redundant. Therefore, they’ll prefer Tasks.

How Specific Are You About Reminders?

Any decent to-do app needs to have a Reminder feature. And fortunately, both Google Tasks and Google Keep do. But it might surprise some users that you don’t get to use this feature the same way in each app.

Google Keep will let you set a reminder for the entire to-do list. However, you can’t do that if you need reminding just for one item from the list.

But Google Tasks can, and if there’s one thing you mustn’t forget, you can only add a reminder. Another difference is that Google Keep has time and location reminders, and Google Tasks can only have time-based reminders.

What Do You Use More: Gmail or Google Docs?

Here’s an interesting comparison that you might not have expected. You can use both Google Keep and Google Tasks with Gmail and Docs, but you can still recognize the more compatible pairing of the apps.

Google Keep works well with Google Docs, allowing effortless drag-and-drop of notes directly into your document. Similarly, in Gmail, you can easily drag emails to Google tasks and sync them with Google Calendar.

Text-Only Lists or Multimedia Lists?

If you’re in two minds about which to-do Google app to focus on, there’s a pretty straightforward question to ask yourself.

Are you just going to use text, or are you looking to add images, web content, and transcriptions to your notes? If you need to write down text quickly and check it as complete, Google Tasks is for you.

But if your tasks and lists are more elaborate and require more content, Google Keep will likely be better suited.

Are You Going to Share Your Tasks?

Most Google tools are collaborative by design. That’s the case with Google Keep, too. It makes sharing your notes with people or coworkers quick and interactive.

All you need to do is add an email address next to your note by clicking the “Collaborator” icon, and they’ll be able to read it.

On the other hand, Google Tasks is the way to go if you want to keep your tasks and goals to yourself, which is why many users appreciate it more.

So Similar Yet Quite Different Google Apps

Hopefully, it’s clearer why Google created such seemingly similar to-do apps. What they were likely trying to accomplish is to cater to their users with these differences.

If the answers to the above questions are somewhat mixed, the best thing to do is try both apps and see what works best for you. The odds are that in no time, you’ll know which is the right choice.