# Goodnotes vs Mind Map

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mind Map at 70% against Goodnotes's 34%. Mind Map also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (455K vs 7) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Mind Map holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 70% of Mind Map's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Mind Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mind-map-hoodlemind/id1535574338/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **69.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [翔 崔](https://appshunter.io/developer/974649822) |

## 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


### Mind Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mind-map-hoodlemind/id1535574338)

Create beautiful mind maps intuitively to capture and organize ideas. Supports brainstorming, note-taking, studying, and project planning. Collaborate in real-time and export in various formats.

**Highlights:** Intuitive mind map creation, Brainstorming and ideation, Note-taking and studying, Project planning and management, Customizable themes and formatting, Add notes, links, attachments, and images to nodes, Real-time collaboration, Export as PNG, PDF, OPML

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HoodleMind Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Mind Map free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Mind Map?

Mind Map is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Mind Map averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Mind Map have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Mind Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Mind Map?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Mind Map weekly. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mind Map on September 20, 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.*