# Goodnotes vs Stylus Labs Write

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Stylus Labs Write |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) | **[4.8 (295 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write/id1580794413/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 295 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **82.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## 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


### Stylus Labs Write

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stylus-labs-write/id1580794413)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*