Google Tasks vs Google Keep

Google Tasks vs Google Keep: What's the Difference and Which One Fits Your Workflow?

Both tools come free with your Google account, but they solve very different problems. This guide breaks down exactly when to use each, and how TasksBoard makes Google Tasks the clear winner for structured work.

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Google Tasks vs Google Keep: Feature Comparison

Feature	Google Tasks	Google Keep
Due dates and reminders Due dates and reminders		Reminders only (via Keep Reminders)
Subtasks Subtasks
Organize by project / list Organize by project/list		Labels only
Google Calendar integration Google Calendar integration
Freeform notes Freeform notes
Image capture Image capture
Voice memos Voice memos
Kanban board view Kanban board view	Via TasksBoard
Team board sharing Team board sharing	Via TasksBoard	Collaborative notes only
Gmail integration Gmail integration

Feature-by-feature comparison

Google Tasks is for actionable to-dos; Google Keep is for notes and capture. See how each tool handles reminders, lists, and collaboration.

Feature 1

Due dates and reminders

Google Tasks is built around due dates, deadlines, and notifications synced through Google Calendar.

Google Keep supports note reminders; newer flows save reminders in Google Tasks and surface them in Calendar.

Due dates and reminders — left column screenshot — Task due dates in Calendar.

Due dates and reminders — right column screenshot — Note reminders linked to Tasks.

Winner: Google Tasks

Google Tasks is purpose-built for due dates, deadlines, and Calendar-synced reminders.

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Feature 2

Subtasks

Google Tasks nests true subtasks under a parent task for step-by-step execution.

Keep supports checklists inside a note, but not dedicated parent-child task entities.

Subtasks — left column screenshot — Parent task with subtasks.

Subtasks — right column screenshot — Checklist items in a note.

Winner: Google Tasks

True parent-child subtask entities beat checklist items inside a note for step-by-step execution.

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Feature 3

Organize by project or list

Google Tasks uses multiple named lists with drag-and-drop reordering and sorting.

Keep organizes by labels, colors, and pinned notes in a card grid.

Organize by project or list — left column screenshot — Named task lists.

Organize by project or list — right column screenshot — Labels and pinned notes.

Winner: Google Tasks

Named task lists with drag-and-drop ordering suit project workflows better than a note card grid.

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Feature 4

Google Calendar integration

Dated tasks appear in Google Calendar natively. Plan events and to-dos together.

Keep reminders can appear in Calendar when saved through the Google Tasks integration.

Google Calendar integration — left column screenshot — Tasks on your Calendar grid.

Google Calendar integration — right column screenshot — Reminders via Tasks bridge.

Winner: Google Tasks

Dated tasks appear on your Google Calendar grid natively — the core planning integration for to-dos.

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Feature 5

Freeform notes

Google Tasks has lightweight detail fields optimized for completion, not long-form writing.

Keep is purpose-built for freeform notes, brainstorming, and quick capture.

Freeform notes — left column screenshot — Task detail fields.

Freeform notes — right column screenshot — Freeform note editor.

Winner: Google Keep

Keep is purpose-built for freeform notes, brainstorming, and quick unstructured capture.

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Feature 6

Image capture

Google Tasks does not support image attachments on tasks.

Keep lets you snap photos, attach images from your library, or scan documents directly into a note.

Image capture — left column screenshot — Text-based tasks only.

Image capture — right column screenshot — Image notes and scans.

Winner: Google Keep

Keep lets you snap photos, attach images, and scan documents — Google Tasks is text-only.

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Feature 7

Voice memos

Google Tasks focuses on typed task entry with optional Assistant on Android.

Keep records audio notes you can play back and transcribe later.

Voice memos — left column screenshot — Typed task capture.

Voice memos — right column screenshot — Audio note recording.

Winner: Google Keep

Keep records audio notes you can play back; Google Tasks focuses on typed task entry.

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Feature 8

Kanban board view

Google Tasks is list-based. TasksBoard adds kanban columns for project-stage visibility.

Keep shows notes in a grid or list — no column-based workflow board.

Kanban board view — left column screenshot — Kanban via TasksBoard.

Kanban board view — right column screenshot — Grid and list note views.

Winner: Google Tasks

TasksBoard adds kanban columns for project-stage visibility; Keep has no workflow board.

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Feature 9

Team board sharing

TasksBoard enables shared kanban boards on Google Tasks for cross-platform teams.

Keep supports real-time collaborative notes and checklists with other Google accounts.

Team board sharing — left column screenshot — Shared boards via TasksBoard.

Team board sharing — right column screenshot — Collaborative Keep notes.

It's a tie

Both support collaboration — TasksBoard for shared task boards, Keep for real-time collaborative notes. Different jobs.

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Feature 10

Gmail integration

Turn any email into a Google Task with one click. The task links back to the original message.

Keep is available in the Gmail side panel for note-taking, but not for structured task workflows.

Gmail integration — left column screenshot — Add to Tasks from Gmail.

Gmail integration — right column screenshot — Keep side panel in Gmail.

Winner: Google Tasks

Turn any Gmail message into a linked Google Task in one click — structured task workflows from email.

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Loved by thousands of users

4.8 / 5 from 1,000+ reviews on the Chrome Web Store

"Always have 101 things to do and this helps me organize and prioritize like no other app can. It syncs to my phone and laptop, and when I add dates to tasks, they automatically integrate into my Google Calendar, which is immensely convenient. I can look at my daily, weekly, and monthly overview in Google Calendar and clearly see how much I was able to accomplish! Great tool indeed. Excited to see how it will evolve over time."

Parina Ramjee

"Seriously, makes my tasks easier to share with the team, and the free version is quite nice for our little office. Eventually, we will expand, and this is definitely a great tool to do that! Syncs with my Workspace and Calendar."

Chase Cattrall

"I love the simple, intuitive interface and the Add to Tasks feature, especially as I work through my emails! Sharing my tasks is also easy. Overall, outstanding and simple to use, and that means a lot with too many complex tasks out there!"

Greg Cantori

"Great too for managing daily routine and plan tasks. Would be perfect if it was updated for generating reports for statistics. For google tasks and google calendar"

Nick Vlasov

Parina Ramjee

"Its an amazing extension that can be connect with google task manager and its helped me a lot to manage my tasks and make a report and very easily i can import in google sheets and it dont need any additional integration just sign-in with same google account that i use for google task, Thank You developer im also a developer i really appreciate this its very affective and a unique way to manage task without any other paid application. (Dubai)"

Twisoo

"This extension makes it so much easier for me to quickly add a task while I'm doing anything on the web. Conveniently pops out of the side of the browser window when I need it, and when I'm done with my task, I can quickly pop it right back out of sight. Love it!"

Joshua Beach (M. Lé)

"I use it in combination with a widget on my phone so I can put things down that enter my mind right away and later organize it in my important/urgent martix. Does the job easily enough. Haven't played around with any advanced features."

Nicholas Austin

"Well, this service is just awesome, I get to access my task list very easily at any time I want when working on my computer. No matter what im working on, atleast one browser tab is open in chrome. You can add it on top there for quick access, its just lovely, I gave 4 stars (you deserve a 5) but perhaps that will be a room for improvement. L'chaim 🥂"

Jawad Charles

Twisoo

"Very happy with TasksBoard! We use it as a family to manage the chaos. Also, we have found added benefit in the premium version, so we finally took the plunge. No regrets! It has helped us be more intentional in coordinating and communicating all the little things that used to fall through the cracks. We are very grateful for this product!"

Michael Barnett

"Having the ability to share a google tasks list has been priceless and really helped me to streamline the jobs I have coming in. Would highly recommend the app if you are working between two or more google accounts."

Stirling Moss

"Good for getting work done. Turned my written lists into task lists on Tasksboard. Helps me keep track of notes, dates, conversations, links and 'all the things' related to each project."

Tasha Nesbitt

"It doesn't recognize Google's built-in recurrence, and that has proven to be costly to me and the company significantly. The tool functions as promised; it is worth the small fee. But if I find something better, I will switch unless this integration improves."

Christian Griffith

See all reviews

Frequently asked questions

What is the main difference between Google Tasks and Google Keep?

Google Tasks is a structured to-do list tool with due dates, subtasks, and Google Calendar integration. Google Keep is a freeform note-taking app with support for text, images, voice memos, and color-coded labels. Tasks is for actions; Keep is for capture.

Which is better for work tasks, Google Tasks or Google Keep?

Google Tasks is better for work tasks. It supports deadlines, subtasks, Gmail integration, and syncs with Google Calendar. Keep is better for capturing notes and ideas quickly, but it does not provide the structure needed for managing work reliably.

Keep reminders migration

Can I convert a Google Keep note into a Google Task?

Not directly in the apps. The recommended workflow is to manually create a task in Google Tasks based on the information in your Keep note. Some users copy the Keep note content into the task description or notes field.

Google Tasks

Does Google Tasks support reminders like Google Keep?

Google Tasks supports due dates, which trigger reminders in Google Calendar. Google Keep has its own reminder system with location-based reminders. For time-based reminders tied to a calendar, Google Tasks with due dates is the more reliable option.

TasksBoard

Can you share tasks in Google Tasks like notes in Google Keep?

Native Google Tasks does not support sharing. Google Keep allows sharing notes with other Google users. However, TasksBoard adds real-time team sharing to Google Tasks, you can share an entire board with teammates and assign tasks.

Keep collaboration

What does TasksBoard add to Google Tasks that makes it better than Keep?

TasksBoard gives Google Tasks a full-screen Kanban board, team sharing, drag-and-drop task management, and a today view that combines tasks with Google Calendar events. This turns the structured nature of Tasks into a complete productivity system that Keep cannot match.

Gmail tasks

Is there an app that combines Google Tasks and Google Keep?

No single app merges both natively. The practical workflow most power users follow is: capture in Keep, process into Tasks, then use TasksBoard to manage Tasks with a full-screen Kanban interface and team sharing.

Google Keep

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