# Goodnotes vs Widgetsmith

Goodnotes and Widgetsmith both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 72% of Widgetsmith's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Widgetsmith also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Widgetsmith sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Goodnotes against 4.6 for Widgetsmith. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 457K and 773K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 72% of Widgetsmith's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Widgetsmith every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Widgetsmith |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.6 (773K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 457K | **773K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **72.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #87 | **#32** |
| Size | 795 MB | 183 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Cross Forward Consulting, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/295660206) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Grossing · Productivity, #116 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


### Widgetsmith

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/widgetsmith/id1523682319)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Free · Productivity, #97 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Personalize your device with highly customizable widgets for your home and lock screens. Showcase photos, track events, display weather, and launch apps directly from your widgets. Includes a wallpaper library and tools for theming.

**Highlights:** Customizable widgets, Home and lock screen personalization, Photo display, Event countdowns, Weather forecasts, App launching widgets, Theming tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Widgetsmith Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Customizable widgets
- 💡 Allows for aesthetic home screen design
- 🤩 Great for organizing and personalizing
- 🥰 Helpful for improving phone appearance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Widgets turning grey or not working
- 🤔 Inability to remove 'Widgetsmith' label
- 🤨 Limited customization options for free users
- 😕 Inconsistent widget behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets randomly turning grey or blank
- Calendar and time widgets not updating correctly
- App crashing or not opening
- Issues with photo widgets not displaying images

**Requested features**

- Ability to choose specific photos for widgets
- Option to adjust photo rotation interval
- Custom color selection tool
- Customizable widget labels
- Transparent widget backgrounds


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Widgetsmith free?

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

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

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while Widgetsmith averages 4.6 from 773K ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Widgetsmith have ads?

Widgetsmith shows ads; Goodnotes does not.

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

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Widgetsmith every 2 weeks. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 29, 2026 and Widgetsmith on September 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Goodnotes or Widgetsmith?

Goodnotes currently peaks at #87 in the App Store charts, and Widgetsmith at #32. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*