# Spotxel® Reader vs Goodnotes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spotxel® Reader at 100% against Goodnotes's 34%. Spotxel® Reader also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 2.4) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spotxel® Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Goodnotes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 468K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Spotxel® Reader's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Spotxel® Reader ships an update every 2 months, Goodnotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spotxel® Reader | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotxel-reader/id1340235876/reviews) | **[4.7 (468K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **468K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 33.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#104** |
| Size | 43 MB | 778 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sicasys Software GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1340235875) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Spotxel® Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spotxel-reader/id1340235876)

This app allows you to capture images of microplates, detect and measure color signals, and analyze sample concentrations. It supports various assay formats and can save, load, and export data.

**Highlights:** Capture microplate images, Detect and measure color signals, Analyze sample concentrations, Save and load assay setups, Export assay data to PDF, Supports row, column, and microarray formats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time-Unlimited License | $8.99 | one-time |


### Goodnotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Grossing · Productivity, #148 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture ideas, brainstorm, and create polished documents with powerful AI tools. Transcribe meetings, generate summaries, and organize notes effortlessly for work or study. Plan your life and journal your thoughts with customizable templates and creative freedom.

**Highlights:** AI-powered transcription and summarization, Infinite whiteboard for brainstorming, Handwritten and typed note organization, Customizable planner and journal templates, PDF annotation and document import, Study sets with flashcards, Presentation mode with laser pointer

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Pass (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Goodnotes Pro (Yearly) | $35.99 | per year |
| Goodnotes 6 Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $9.99 | one-time |
| Goodnotes 6 One-Time Payment | $28.99 | one-time |
| Special Edition | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Smooth writing with Apple Pencil
- 📁 Powerful organization with folders and notebooks
- 🖼️ Ability to annotate PDFs and documents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔍 Syncing and iCloud issues
- 🔍 Lack of flexibility with text input
- 🔍 Limited eraser and highlighting options
- 🔍 Subpar performance on Mac app

**Reported bugs**

- Text box issues - unable to edit, resize, or move properly
- Handwriting recognition problems, especially with cursive
- Unreliable scrolling and page navigation
- Inconsistent behavior when using the zoom feature

**Requested features**

- Add bullet point and formatting options for typed text
- Implement a full-screen writing mode
- Improve the straight line and shape tools
- Integrate audio recording and synchronization
- Allow more customization of the toolbar and interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Spotxel® Reader free?

Spotxel® Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Goodnotes free?

Goodnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Spotxel® Reader or Goodnotes?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Spotxel® Reader averages 2.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 468K ratings.

### Do Spotxel® Reader or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Spotxel® Reader nor Goodnotes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spotxel® Reader or Goodnotes?

Spotxel® Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Spotxel® Reader was updated on November 2, 2026 and Goodnotes on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*