Comparison

Goodnotes vs Stylus Labs Write

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

Stylus Labs Write

This app offers advanced tools for managing and editing handwritten notes and documents. It supports cloud integration, vector graphics, and includes features for intelligent selection, reflowing text, and creating links. It's ideal for note-taking, brainstorming, and sketching.

Highlights
  • Intelligent selection, erase, and move tools
  • Reflow handwritten text with insert space
  • Create handwritten links and bookmarks
  • Save and paste clippings
  • Unlimited undo/redo jog dial
  • Split view for dual document editing
  • Standard note-taking and drawing tools
Features
Read full description

Write provides a unique set of tools for editing and navigating handwritten documents, plus all the usual features of a vector drawing application. Write is perfect for note-taking, brainstorming, and sketching. MODERN DOCUMENT HANDLING * uses standard Apple document browser for completely flexible file organization * supports iCloud and all other cloud services that integrate with the Files app * non-proprietary SVG file format can be opened in other vector graphics apps and web browsers UNIQUE TOOLS FOR HANDWRITTEN DOCUMENTS * intelligent tools to select, erase, and move writing * reflow handwritten text with the insert space tool * create bookmarks labeled with handwriting * create handwritten links to bookmarks and websites * save clippings for easy pasting into any document * unlimited undo/redo jog dial * split view: work on two documents or two parts of the same document STANDARD NOTE-TAKING AND DRAWING TOOLS * Apple Pencil support * insert images (and vector content as SVG) * cut, copy, paste, move, scale, and rotate selections * cut, copy, and paste pages within and between documents * customize and save pens * customize page size, color, and ruling * pages can grow automatically when writing nears edge * PDF export The free version shows a watermark on each page, which can be removed with a one-time in-app purchase. Website: http://www.styluslabs.com FAQ: http://www.styluslabs.com/faq Support: support@styluslabs.com

Screenshots

Goodnotes4 screens
Stylus Labs Write4 screens

Verdict

The call

Goodnotes and Stylus Labs Write both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 82% of Stylus Labs Write's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Stylus Labs Write also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (455K vs 295). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Stylus Labs Write sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Goodnotes against 4.8 for Stylus Labs Write. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 295, 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 82% of Stylus Labs Write's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Stylus Labs Write every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Goodnotes versus Stylus Labs Write: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoodnotesStylus Labs Write
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (455K ratings)4.8 (295 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.6% of reviews82.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings455K — better295
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#91 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size794 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoodnotes LimitedMatthew White

Customer experience

Goodnotes

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

Stylus Labs Write

All ratings295 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative1.4%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.9%
Negative11.8%

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

Stylus Labs Write

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
1 purchases

Stylus Labs Write

One-time1
  • Full version$8.99

Questions

Is Goodnotes free?
Goodnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stylus Labs Write free?
Stylus Labs Write is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write?
Stylus Labs Write is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Stylus Labs Write averages 4.8 from 295 ratings.
Do Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write have ads?
Neither Goodnotes nor Stylus Labs Write shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Stylus Labs Write?
Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Stylus Labs Write every 7 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 25, 2026 and Stylus Labs Write on September 24, 2026.

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