# Goodnotes vs OrigNotes

Goodnotes and OrigNotes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of OrigNotes's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. OrigNotes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (455K vs 313) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. OrigNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Goodnotes against 4.7 for OrigNotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 313, 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 84% of OrigNotes's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, OrigNotes every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | OrigNotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) | [4.7 (313 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **455K** | 313 |
| Positive reviews | 33.6% of reviews | **83.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 794 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Hangzhou Future Writing Technology Co.,LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1676398498) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #86 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


### OrigNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orignotes/id6446162922)

Create, organize, and manage high-quality handwritten notes with ease. Supports handwriting, drawing, image insertion, and PDF annotation. Stay organized and productive for study, work, or daily ideas.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and drawing, Image insertion and PDF annotation, Organize and search documents, Customizable note covers and paper styles, Palm rejection and writing settings, Variety of brushes and tools, Cloud sync support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is OrigNotes free?

OrigNotes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Goodnotes and OrigNotes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 455K and 313 ratings respectively.

### Do Goodnotes or OrigNotes have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor OrigNotes shows ads.

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

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and OrigNotes every 11 days. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on September 24, 2026 and OrigNotes 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.*