# Goodnotes vs MapNote2

The clearest difference is price: Goodnotes at Free against MapNote2's $5.99. Goodnotes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). MapNote2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20) and review sentiment (45% vs 34%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Goodnotes is free to download; MapNote2 costs $5.99 up front. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. MapNote2 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 45% of MapNote2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, MapNote2 every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | MapNote2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $5.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.1 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapnote2-infinity-size-note/id1488198559/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **45.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Naoya Enokida](https://appshunter.io/developer/583844490) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Productivity, #110 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


### MapNote2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapnote2-infinity-size-note/id1488198559)

This app offers an infinitely expanding canvas for capturing and organizing thoughts. It's designed to mimic the natural, radial way the brain generates ideas, moving beyond linear note-taking. Ideal for brainstorming, mind mapping, and sketching out concepts.

**Highlights:** Infinite canvas for idea spreading, Radial thinking support, Mind mapping, Brainstorming tool, Idea sketching

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is MapNote2 free?

MapNote2 costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or MapNote2?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while MapNote2 averages 4.1 from 36 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or MapNote2 have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor MapNote2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or MapNote2?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and MapNote2 every 6 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 25, 2026 and MapNote2 on September 16, 2026.

---

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