Comparison

Goodnotes vs NoteEase

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Goodnotes

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
Read full description

Goodnotes has always been the place to capture your ideas — from quick notes to big plans. Now, it goes further. With powerful AI and new ways to capture information, Goodnotes helps you connect the dots, unlock insights, and turn ideas into action. *Existing Goodnotes 5 users can continue to use Goodnotes 5 indefinitely or upgrade to the new Goodnotes. Either way, your notes are safe!* For professionals: Increase productivity at work ■ Whiteboard + Goodnotes AI: Brainstorm, mind-map, and diagram freely on an infinite canvas that grows with your ideas. Enhanced diagramming tools and real-time collaboration make it easy for teams to workshop & ideate together, while Goodnotes AI helps you capture and organize key takeaways instantly. ■ Goodnotes AI Audio & Meetings: Stay fully present in every conversation while Goodnotes does the work for you. AI-powered transcription and live summarization automatically capture discussions and turns them into clear meeting minutes. After the meeting, merge transcripts with your own handwritten or typed notes to create polished, shareable documents in seconds. ■ Text Documents + AI: Create documents that think with you. Enjoy a superior typing experience with rich inline blocks, build on ideas with external insights, and collaborate seamlessly with teammates. With AI-powered summarization, automated note generation, and transcript support, turn rough notes and meetings into finished content faster than ever. ■ Present your notes, slides, and content directly from Goodnotes when you connect your device via AirPlay or HDMI to an external screen. ■ Use Laser Pointer to guide your audience's attention during your presentation. ■ Export your handwritten and typed notes to email, print, or share them anywhere as PDFs. ■ Send a link to your notebooks to work on the same notes. ■ Import documents by emailing them to your custom Goodnotes email. For students: Ace your exams with ease ■ Record audio notes that are magically synced to your iPhone or iPad exact moment you write: perfect for lectures, seminars, and presentations. ■ Take handwritten notes that stay fully searchable: instantly find any word across every class notebook, even mid-lecture. ■ Study and practice straight from your notes with study Sets: flashcards built on active recall and spaced repetition. ■ Use AI to summarize, shorten, change the tone of your words, and turn messy handwritten or typed student notes into polished, structured study material. For planners and journalers: Let your creativity flow ■ Plan your week, month, or year on your iPhone/ iPad with built-in and importable planner templates, fully customizable to match how you plan. ■ Keep a daily journal alongside your planner. Combine handwriting, typed reflections, photos, and stickers on the same page. ■ Use Goodnotes AI to summarize a week's worth of journal entries on your iPhone or iPad into key themes and takeaways. ■ Customize the size and color of your paper templates to create the planner or journal you want. ■ Add, create, or import stickers, stamps, washi tapes, images, and more on your iPad. Digital notebooks: unlimited notebooks for the price of a single physical one ■ Combine handwriting and typed text on one page, alongside images, stickers, diagrams, and doodles. ■ Create digital notebooks, planners, and journals with customizable paper templates, including Blank Paper, Ruled Paper, Cornell Paper, Checklists, Planners, and more. ■ Navigate long documents with ease. PDF tables of contents are automatically imported, or create custom outlines yourself. ■ Back up all your handwritten and typed notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and use iCloud to sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac — so your notes are always safe. ■ Edit your handwriting by resizing it, changing the text color, or moving it to another spot on the page. Privacy Policy: https://www.goodnotes.com/privacy-policy Terms and Conditions: https://www.goodnotes.com/terms-and-conditions

About

NoteEase

This app digitizes handwritten notes and photos, allowing for easy annotation and organization. Capture, edit, and share your visual and text-based ideas across devices for a streamlined workflow.

Highlights
  • Convert photos to digital notes
  • Annotate existing photos
  • Type and format text notes
  • Stylus support for drawing
  • Organize and archive notes
  • Sync and share across devices
Features
Read full description

Say goodbye to the hassle of handwritten notes and photos cluttering your life. Welcome to NoteEase+, the ultimate note-taking app that simplifies your life. With NoteEase+, you can effortlessly document your notes, scribble, and annotate on photos or handwritten documents. Whether you're using a smartphone or tablet, NoteEase+ is your digital companion for efficient note-taking and organization. Key Features: Photo to Note: Instantly convert handwritten documents into digital notes by snapping a photo with your device. Photo Annotation: Easily add notes to existing photos from your gallery, creating a visual diary of your memories. Text Input: Type and format your notes with ease, making your text-based notes as beautiful as your handwriting. Stylus Support: Take full advantage of your iPad or tablet with Stylus Pen support. Scribble and draw directly on graphics. Organize and Archive: Efficiently manage your notes, grouping them with related images for a clutter-free experience. Accessibility: Access your notes and photos from any device, be it your smartphone or tablet. Sync and Share: Seamlessly sync and share your notes and images across your devices or with friends and colleagues. Say hello to a decluttered and organized life with NoteEase+. Capture and treasure your handwritten notes and photos digitally while enhancing your note-taking experience. Download NoteEase+ today and embark on a journey of efficient, digital note-taking. --「Paid subscription」-- ● Yearly member $29.99 ● Permanent member $49.99 ● Upon confirmation of purchase, you will be charged from your iTunes account. You can cancel the subscription for the next cycle at least 24 hours before the end of each cycle. The subscription will be automatically renewed within 24 hours after the end of each cycle. The subscribed cycle cannot be cancelled. ● Privacy Policy: http://static.rhinoxlab.com/html/privacy/10162157567636510032_en.html?appName=NoteEase ● Payment agreement: http://static.rhinoxlab.com/html/paymentagreement/general_en.html

Screenshots

Goodnotes4 screens
NoteEase4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Goodnotes at free with in-app purchases against NoteEase's subscription. Goodnotes also leads on ratings volume (455K vs 66) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). NoteEase's advantage is review sentiment (42% vs 34%) and iOS requirement (14.1 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and NoteEase sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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 66, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Goodnotes's written reviews are positive against 42% of NoteEase's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, NoteEase monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Goodnotes versus NoteEase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoodnotesNoteEase
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (455K ratings) — better4.4 (66 ratings)
Positive reviews33.6% of reviews41.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings455K — better66
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.614.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size794 MB113 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoodnotes LimitedHangzhou Jiadi Bozhong

Customer experience

Goodnotes

All ratings454,853 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews6,458 reviews
Positive33.6%
Neutral11.3%
Negative55.0%

NoteEase

All ratings66 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive41.7%
Neutral12.5%
Negative45.8%

Bugs and requests

Goodnotes

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

NoteEase

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Goodnotes

Subscriptions5
  • AI Pass (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Goodnotes 6 (1 Year)1 Year trial$9.991 Year
  • Essential (Yearly)7 Days trial$11.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Essential (Yearly)1 Year trial2 variants$11.991 Year
  • Goodnotes Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$35.991 Year
One-time11
  • Bunny Oasis StickersFree
  • Medicine-Academia Sticker SheeFree
  • Goodnotes 6 Free TrialFree
Show 8 more
  • Marketplace Content$1.99
  • Marketplace Content$6.99
  • Marketplace Content$8.99
  • GoodNotes 5 Unlock$9.99
  • Marketplace Content$9.99
  • Marketplace Content$10.99
  • Goodnotes 6 One-Time Payment$28.99
  • Special Edition$35.99
5 purchases

NoteEase

Subscriptions2
  • Yearly member3 Days trial$4.491 Year
  • Yearly member3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time3
  • Xnotes永久会员优惠价$3.99
  • Permanent member$6.99
  • Permanent member$49.99

Questions

Is Goodnotes free?
Goodnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NoteEase free?
NoteEase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or NoteEase?
Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while NoteEase averages 4.4 from 66 ratings.
Do Goodnotes or NoteEase have ads?
Neither Goodnotes nor NoteEase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or NoteEase?
Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and NoteEase monthly. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and NoteEase on September 22, 2026.

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