# Goodnotes vs Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app

Goodnotes and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (457K vs 1.4K) and chart position (#95 vs unranked). 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 Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. 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 4.6 for Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 457K ratings behind it against 1.4K, 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 65% of Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking-app/id1591954297/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **457K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **65.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#95** | — |
| Size | 795 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Kanza Ahmad](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667956463) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #95 Top Grossing · Productivity, #116 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


### Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/greatnotes5-ai-note-taking-app/id1591954297)

Record, transcribe, and organize lectures, meetings, and ideas with AI-powered summaries, instant answers, and quick actions. Export notes as polished PDFs for easy sharing and collaboration.

**Highlights:** Automatic transcription with time-stamps, AI-generated summaries and key takeaways, Ask AI questions about your notes, Quick AI actions: translate, proofread, expand, Export notes as PDF, Record lectures and meetings

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GreatNotes Weekly Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| GreatNotes 40% Off | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Offer | $39.99 | per year |
| GreatNotes Yearly Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $239.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app free?

Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Goodnotes or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 457K ratings, while Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app averages 4.6 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Goodnotes or Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app?

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app every 3 days. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 28, 2026 and Greatnotes5 AI Note Taking app on September 26, 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.*