# Goodnotes vs BunkMate

The clearest difference is rating: Goodnotes at 4.7 against BunkMate's 3.3. Goodnotes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (468K vs 4). BunkMate's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and BunkMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 468K ratings behind it against 4, 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 24% of BunkMate's.

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, BunkMate every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Goodnotes | BunkMate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (468K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** | [3.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunkmate-attendance-tracker/id6452119916/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **468K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **33.8% of reviews** | 23.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 778 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) | [Kevin Thomas Kuriakose](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621720812) |

## What reviewers say

### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Grossing · Productivity, #157 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture ideas, brainstorm, and create polished documents with powerful AI tools. Transcribe meetings, generate summaries, and organize notes effortlessly for work or study. Plan your life and journal your thoughts with customizable templates and creative freedom.

**Highlights:** AI-powered transcription and summarization, Infinite whiteboard for brainstorming, Handwritten and typed note organization, Customizable planner and journal templates, PDF annotation and document import, Study sets with flashcards, Presentation mode with laser pointer

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Pass (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Essential (Yearly) | $11.99 | per year |
| Goodnotes Pro (Yearly) | $35.99 | per year |
| Goodnotes 6 Free Trial | Free | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $1.99 | one-time |
| Marketplace Content | $9.99 | 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


### BunkMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bunkmate-attendance-tracker/id6452119916)

Manage your class attendance effortlessly with this intuitive tool. Designed by a student, it helps you track your presence, allowing you to attend or skip classes as needed. Reclaim your academic freedom and reduce attendance-related stress.

**Highlights:** Intuitive user interface, Attendance tracking, Class skipping management, Stress reduction for academics, Freedom and control over attendance

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BunkMate Pro | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

### Is BunkMate free?

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

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

Goodnotes is rated higher. Goodnotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 468K ratings, while BunkMate averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do Goodnotes or BunkMate have ads?

Neither Goodnotes nor BunkMate shows ads.

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

Goodnotes ships an update weekly, and BunkMate every 2 months. Most recently, Goodnotes was updated on November 7, 2026 and BunkMate on November 3, 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.*