# Goodnotes vs Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

The clearest difference is ads: Goodnotes at none against Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's shown. Goodnotes also leads on ratings volume (455K vs 399) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On price, update cadence, 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 Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 399, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 59% of Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.4 (399 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flexcil-note-and-good-pdf-reader/id1531466462/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 399 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **59.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Flexcil Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090873688) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Productivity, #115 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


### Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flexcil-note-and-good-pdf-reader/id1531466462)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF reader designed for Apple devices. It allows users to edit PDFs, annotate documents, create bullet journals, and record audio, all while offering intuitive gesture controls and seamless integration with cloud services.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF pages, Annotate documents with gestures, Record and playback audio, Create bullet journals, Cloud sync across devices, Masking pen for precise annotations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade product for old users | Free | one-time |
| Premium | $8.99 | one-time |
| Flexcil Standard | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2021-2022 Color Planner | $11.99 | one-time |
| Flexcil NEW Design Planner 22 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Premium & Toolbar Skin Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Hello Kitty Planner 2022 | $13.99 | one-time |
| My Melody & Kuromi Planner 22 | $13.99 | one-time |
| Standard & 21-22 Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Standard & Design Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Standard & 2023 Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2026 Ultimate Planner(Dated) : Pro | $15.49 | one-time |
| Nelna 6-in-1 Planner Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best Apps for STUDENTS!!! 😀😀
- 👍 Love this app
- 🚀 Powerful multi-page PDF viewer
- 👍 Great for studying
- 👍 Excellent app for note taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🐛 Syncing and backup problems
- 🐛 Buggy handwriting recognition
- 🐛 Unreliable palm rejection
- 🐛 Missing key features from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- Sudden data loss and file deletion
- Inability to restore purchases
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent behavior of undo/redo functions
- Annotations not exporting correctly

**Requested features**

- Add iCloud sync and backup
- Improve handwriting search and recognition
- Bring back reading mode and one-page scrolling
- Add more pen and brush options
- Allow customizing notebook paper styles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader free?

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader averages 4.4 from 399 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader have ads?

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader shows ads; Goodnotes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader weekly. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader on September 22, 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.*