# Goodnotes vs Stylus Labs Write Pro

The clearest difference is price: Goodnotes at Free against Stylus Labs Write Pro's $8.99. Goodnotes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (455K vs 40). Stylus Labs Write Pro's advantage is review sentiment (77% vs 34%) and in-app purchases (none vs 20). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Goodnotes is free to download; Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99 up front. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Stylus Labs Write Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 77% of Stylus Labs Write Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Stylus Labs Write Pro every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Stylus Labs Write Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.5 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write-pro/id1498369428/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 40 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#91** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 8 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) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #91 Top Grossing · Productivity, #114 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


### Stylus Labs Write Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write-pro/id1498369428)

This app offers advanced tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents, combining note-taking and vector drawing capabilities. It supports flexible file organization, cloud services, and a non-proprietary SVG format for easy sharing.

**Highlights:** Intelligent handwriting selection and editing tools, Reflow handwritten text with insert space tool, Create handwritten links and bookmarks, Non-proprietary SVG file format export, Apple Pencil support, Split view for multi-document work, PDF export

**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 Stylus Labs Write Pro free?

Stylus Labs Write Pro costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write Pro?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Stylus Labs Write Pro averages 4.5 from 40 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write Pro have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Stylus Labs Write Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write Pro?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Stylus Labs Write Pro every 4 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 25, 2026 and Stylus Labs Write Pro on September 24, 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.*