Sova
We make Sova. Read this with that in mind. Competitor details are from public listings as of October 2026 and may change.
The short version
Google Keep is a free note and checklist app from Google that works on Android, iPhone, and the web. Sharing a note is easy when one of you is on Android. Sova is an iPhone planner: separate groups, dated plans next to lists, Today, and a large widget. Keep wins catch‑all scraps. Sova wins a shared household rhythm.
What Keep does well
Speed and reach. Open Keep, type a line, share the note, done — on almost any phone in a Google household. Colours, checkboxes, and reminders are familiar. For mixed Android and iPhone pairs who only need a shared scrap pad, Keep is often the lowest‑friction answer. Details and limits change over time; check Google’s own Keep pages as of October 2026.
Where Sova is different
Sova is built as a planner, not a notepad. Groups separate home from work from friends. Dated items sit on a day timeline; lists tick from Today and the widget. Sharing is a group invite (link or QR) with roles, not only “share this note”. Free includes the full day ritual and two shared lists; Pro adds Scan, Dictate, and higher caps. Guests without iPhone can join a shared list in the browser. Keep remains better when the only requirement is a mixed‑phone sticky note.
Notes versus plans
A Keep note is a flexible surface: text, checklist, colour. That flexibility is why it wins for “remember this”. A plan is a different job: something dated sits on a day, a list ticks in the shop, and both should show up when you glance at Today. If your shared Keep notes keep sprouting times and “who does what”, you have outgrown the sticky note — not because Keep failed, but because the job changed.
Trying Sova after Keep
Copy the checklist that matters most into a Sova group, invite with a link, and leave Keep open for random scraps if you still want it. There is no automatic move of every old note — and that is fine. After a few days, notice whether “what’s today?” and “what’s left on the list?” feel calmer. If Android remains the daily phone for one of you for everything, Keep (or Google Calendar) may still be the better centre of gravity.
Privacy and ads, briefly
Keep lives inside a Google account. That is fine for many households and is the trade‑off for free, cross‑phone notes. Sova Free has no ads; private groups you never share stay on the iPhone; shared groups need an account so members see updates. Neither product is “more private” in every sense — they solve different jobs with different account models. Pick the job first.
Choose Keep if…
You need the fastest shared note between Android and iPhone, you already live in Google apps, or you want a free scrap pad without learning a planner. Keep is not trying to be your family calendar or your Home Screen day.
Choose Sova if…
You want shared groups, a calm day view, your calendars alongside lists, and a widget you can tick. Mostly iPhone households fit best; Android guests can still open a shared list in the browser. Free is complete to try; Pro is for Scan, Dictate, and scale.
| Google Keep | Sova | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Notes and checklists | Everyday planner |
| Platforms | Android, iPhone, web | iPhone; shared lists in browser |
| Sharing model | Share a note | Invite to a group (link / QR) |
| Day view + widget | Not the product | Core |
| Price | Free with Google account | Free complete; Pro optional |
Keep wins mixed‑phone quick notes. Sova wins planner + shared groups + day widget on iPhone. We make Sova; if you only need a shared sticky note across Android and iPhone, Keep is the honest pick.