# Goodnotes vs Blankbook

The clearest difference is rating: Goodnotes at 4.7 against Blankbook's 3.9. Goodnotes also leads on ratings volume (455K vs 129) and chart position (#90 vs unranked). Blankbook's advantage is review sentiment (55% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Blankbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 129, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 55% of Blankbook's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Blankbook every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and July 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Blankbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [3.9 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blankbook-paper-note/id1481732301/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 129 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **54.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [璐 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/1691481212) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Grossing · Productivity, #113 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture ideas, enhance productivity, and unlock insights with advanced AI features. This app offers tools for professionals, students, and creatives, including infinite whiteboards, AI-powered transcription and summarization, and customizable digital notebooks.

**Highlights:** AI-powered transcription and summarization, Infinite whiteboard canvas, Digital notebooks with customizable templates, Study Sets for flashcards, Presentation mode with laser pointer, Real-time collaboration

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Pass (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Goodnotes 6 (1 Year) | $9.99 | per year |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Goodnotes Pro (Yearly) | $35.99 | per year |
| Bunny Oasis Stickers | Free | one-time |
| Medicine-Academia Sticker Shee | Free | one-time |
| Goodnotes 6 Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $6.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $8.99 | one-time |
| GoodNotes 5 Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $9.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $10.99 | 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


### Blankbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blankbook-paper-note/id1481732301)

Experience a natural handwriting feel on an infinite canvas. Organize notes with a visual bookshelf and access tools quickly. Offers various paper types and intuitive controls for seamless creativity.

**Highlights:** Infinite scrolling canvas, 7 static paper types (dark/light variants), Pen, pencil, marker, lasso, ruler, erasers, Three quick-access tool slots, Intuitive gesture controls, Automatic dark mode matching system settings

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.49 | per month |
| Lifetime | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✍️ Natural handwriting and pen feel
- ♾️ Infinite canvas for unlimited space
- 🎨 Simple and clean interface
- ⚡ Good performance and responsiveness
- 💰 One-time purchase option available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app failures
- 💾 Data loss and note disappearance
- ⏱️ Severe lag with large amounts of data
- 🔄 Notes not syncing across devices
- 🗂️ No folder or organizational system

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when creating new sheets or files
- Notes permanently disappear without warning
- Severe lag and slow loading with accumulated data
- Delete function doesn't permanently remove notes
- Unresponsive settings and help buttons

**Requested features**

- Folder organization system for notes
- Cloud backup and sync across devices
- Image and PDF insertion capability
- Snap-to-grid and smart shapes
- Ability to rotate and scale selected content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Blankbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Blankbook?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Blankbook averages 3.9 from 129 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Blankbook have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Blankbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Blankbook?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Blankbook every 4 days. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 25, 2026 and Blankbook on July 26, 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.*