# Goodnotes vs Pocket Note

The clearest difference is ads: Goodnotes at none against Pocket Note's shown. Goodnotes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Pocket Note's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Pocket Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 34% and 33% positive.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Pocket Note every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Pocket Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.3 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **33.6% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#85** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #85 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


### Pocket Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819)

Transform your device into a powerful business notepad. Quickly capture ideas with handwriting, typing, and rich media. Organize notes into groups and export them as images or PDFs for easy sharing and printing.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and typed input, Customizable pen sizes and colors, Paste photos and maps, Insert figures and lines, Export as image or PDF, Organize notes into groups, iCloud synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Note License | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Pocket Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Pocket Note?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Pocket Note averages 4.3 from 14 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Pocket Note have ads?

Pocket Note shows ads; Goodnotes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Pocket Note?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Pocket Note every 2 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Pocket Note on August 13, 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.*