# Goodnotes vs CollaNote

Goodnotes and CollaNote both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of CollaNote's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (455K vs 14K) and chart position (#90 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and CollaNote sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.7 for CollaNote. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 14K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 70% of CollaNote's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | CollaNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) | [4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 14K |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **70.3% 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 | **#90** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 208 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Zauberberg Lab Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693142923) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Grossing · Productivity, #113 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


### CollaNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268)

This app offers a comprehensive note-taking experience with advanced tools for digital planning, PDF markup, and flashcard creation. It features a wide array of pens, handwriting stabilization, and AI-powered assistance for enhanced productivity and creativity. Organize, secure, and share your notes seamlessly across devices.

**Highlights:** 25+ pens and brushes, PDF, PPT, DOC markup, Flashcard creation, Translation tool, Audio recording, AI-powered tools, Real-time collaboration

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium Loyal Users | $6.95 | one-time |
| Premium: Time Limited Sale | $6.95 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer | $9.69 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $13.90 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Very good writing app
- 🚀 Great app and easy to navigate
- 🚀 Excellent note taking app
- 👍 Amazing free note taking app
- 👍 Fantastic for teaching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitching, crashing, and issues with writing tools
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and bugs
- 🐛 Issues with PDF annotations and exports
- 🐛 Problems with organization and navigation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Pen and eraser issues after updates
- Freezing and crashing when deleting or moving notes
- Inconsistent behavior of favorite pen settings
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login screen freezes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support
- Improve text editing and formatting
- Enhance organization with nested folders
- Implement better backup and sync options
- Add more pen/pencil customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is CollaNote free?

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

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

Goodnotes and CollaNote are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 455K and 14K ratings respectively.

### Do Goodnotes or CollaNote have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor CollaNote shows ads.

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

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