itsnotes is a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted notes app that recreates the Google Keep workflow with notes, checklists, labels, and reminders on infrastructure the reader controls. It serves Keep users who want data ownership without relearning how they take notes, and it is maintained openly at alexmicuplusfour/itsnotes with a public demo.[1][2]
Quick verdict
People leaving Google Keep for a self-hosted clone benefit most from itsnotes. Keep-style notes, checklists, labels, and reminders arrive through Docker self-hosting under the MIT license at zero software cost. The constraint is youth plus responsibility: a young single-maintainer project with no documented Keep import, and self-hosting that asks for basic server administration. Readers who can run Docker and want the Keep workflow on their own server should try the public demo first; readers who will not self-host should stay with Google Keep.[1][2]
Key features
Keep-style notes with pinning and lifecycle Create card notes in grid or list views, pin the important ones, and move the rest through archive and trash, matching established Keep habits.[1]
Checklists with drag-to-reorder tasks Build task lists with strikethrough on completion and drag-and-drop reordering, suited to shopping, packing, and chore lists.[1][2]
Labels that group related notes Assign labels to notes and browse everything under one label in a single place, keeping projects and household lists organized without folders.[1][2]
Time-based reminders on notes Attach reminders to individual notes so errands and follow-ups resurface alongside the lists that carry them.[1]
Note sharing with realtime updates Share notes with other users on the same instance and see changes update live, covering the family-and-partner checklist case.[1]
Dark and light themes Switch the whole interface between dark and light appearances, a daily-visible comfort carried over from the Keep-style design.[1][2]
Installable PWA for phones and computers Install the app from the browser onto a phone or desktop for an app-like entry point without separate native builds.[1]
Docker self-hosting under the MIT license Run the documented Docker Compose deployment against the reader's own PostgreSQL database, with manual Node.js deployment also documented, at zero license cost.[1][2]
Who will love it
Keep users who want data ownership transfer with almost no relearning while their notes live in a PostgreSQL database they control.[1]
Homelab and Docker users fit a documented Compose deployment with environment-variable configuration and no license key.[1][2]
Households sharing lists and reminders are served by shared checklists with realtime updates plus per-note reminders.[1]
Who should avoid it
A young single-maintainer project with active 2026 development but no documented team, enterprise support, or continuity guarantees, so institutional adopters carry the risk.[1]
Self-hosting is mandatory: Docker or Node.js plus PostgreSQL administration is required and no managed offering is documented.[1][2]
The mobile path is a browser-installed PWA rather than native apps, and no import tool or rich-document features are documented, so Keep migrants and heavy formatters should verify against the demo.[1][2]
Workflow fit and switching notes
Keep users transfer habits directly because cards, pinning, labels, and reminders deliberately mirror the Keep workflow.[1]
No import tool from Google Keep is documented, so migration means manual re-creation; the public demo is the place to confirm the workflow fits before self-hosting.[1][2]
Phone and desktop access runs through the installable PWA against the reader's hosted instance rather than through native store apps.[1]
Questions worth asking
What is the best itsnotes alternative for non-technical users?
Google Keep itself is the safer pick for non-technical users: it needs no server, ships mature mobile apps, and matches the exact card-and-label workflow itsnotes imitates.[1]
Is itsnotes really no-code?
How much does itsnotes cost per month?
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 11, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- itsnotes homepage (official)
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Official homepage: Keep-alternative positioning, free/open-source/MIT badges, feature sections, Docker self-hosting, demo/GitHub/docs links, no pricing page.
- itsnotes GitHub repository (official)
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Official repository: MIT license, homepage link, TS/Next.js/tRPC/Prisma/Mantine topics, PWA/labels/reminders/collaboration/Docker documentation, active 2026 commits.
Compared with these products
No explicit proprietary baseline is recorded.