# Goodnotes vs Moleskine Notebooks

The clearest difference is rating: Goodnotes at 4.7 against Moleskine Notebooks's 4.2. Goodnotes also leads on ratings volume (455K vs 712) and review sentiment (34% vs 15%). On price, ads, 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 Moleskine Notebooks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 712, 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 15% of Moleskine Notebooks's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Moleskine Notebooks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.2 (712 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moleskine-notebooks/id1540765163/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 712 |
| Positive reviews | **33.6% of reviews** | 14.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#89** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 177 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Moleskine Srl](https://appshunter.io/developer/429657258) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #89 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


### Moleskine Notebooks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moleskine-notebooks/id1540765163)

Capture handwritten notes and sketches on paper and instantly convert them to digital text and vector art. Seamlessly export your work to various file formats for easy sharing and integration into presentations. Best of both worlds for productivity and creativity.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes to text conversion, Export notes as Word, RTF, TXT, Draw diagrams and import to presentations, Export sketches as vector art, Syncs with Moleskine Smart Pen and Notebooks, Offline note-taking with automatic sync

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bundle + AI - Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Bundle + AI - Annual Plan | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless handwriting-to-digital conversion
- 🔒 Secure data storage and sync
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Innovative integration of physical and digital note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🔌 Unreliable pen-to-app connectivity and sync
- 🤔 Inconsistent performance across devices
- ⏱️ Slow and laggy app experience

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in to Moleskine account
- Google Drive integration and backup issues
- Incorrect page/date display in planner
- Partial or missing note transcription

**Requested features**

- Improved calendar integration and event management
- Ability to rearrange and organize notebook pages
- Better handwriting recognition and text editing tools
- Seamless migration from previous app versions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Moleskine Notebooks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Moleskine Notebooks?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Moleskine Notebooks averages 4.2 from 712 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Moleskine Notebooks have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Moleskine Notebooks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Moleskine Notebooks?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Moleskine Notebooks fortnightly. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 25, 2026 and Moleskine Notebooks 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.*