# Goodnotes vs Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Notes at 100% against Goodnotes's 34%. Notes also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (455K vs 8). 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 Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 8, 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 100% of Notes's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Notes every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notebook-and-reminders/id1582204558/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 155 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Planning Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1618240887) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Productivity, #115 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


### Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-notebook-and-reminders/id1582204558)

Capture ideas, plan events, and manage tasks with this versatile note-taking app. Organize notes with custom views, filters, and priority pinning. Enjoy voice notes, file attachments, and secure local accounts.

**Highlights:** Voice notes, Checklist creation, File attachments, Drag and drop organization, Board and list views, Local accounts, Day/night modes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access for a Month | $1.49 | per month |
| Full Access for a Year | $11.99 | per year |
| Full Access Forever | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Notes free?

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

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

Notes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 455K ratings, while Notes averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Notes have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Notes shows ads.

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

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Notes every 3 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notes on September 21, 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.*