Comparison

Goodnotes vs studysesh

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Goodnotes

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
Read full description

Goodnotes has always been the place to capture your ideas — from quick notes to big plans. Now, it goes further. With powerful AI and new ways to capture information, Goodnotes helps you connect the dots, unlock insights, and turn ideas into action. *Existing Goodnotes 5 users can continue to use Goodnotes 5 indefinitely or upgrade to the new Goodnotes. Either way, your notes are safe!* For professionals: Increase productivity at work ■ Whiteboard + Goodnotes AI: Brainstorm, mind-map, and diagram freely on an infinite canvas that grows with your ideas. Enhanced diagramming tools and real-time collaboration make it easy for teams to workshop & ideate together, while Goodnotes AI helps you capture and organize key takeaways instantly. ■ Goodnotes AI Audio & Meetings: Stay fully present in every conversation while Goodnotes does the work for you. AI-powered transcription and live summarization automatically capture discussions and turns them into clear meeting minutes. After the meeting, merge transcripts with your own handwritten or typed notes to create polished, shareable documents in seconds. ■ Text Documents + AI: Create documents that think with you. Enjoy a superior typing experience with rich inline blocks, build on ideas with external insights, and collaborate seamlessly with teammates. With AI-powered summarization, automated note generation, and transcript support, turn rough notes and meetings into finished content faster than ever. ■ Present your notes, slides, and content directly from Goodnotes when you connect your device via AirPlay or HDMI to an external screen. ■ Use Laser Pointer to guide your audience's attention during your presentation. ■ Export your handwritten and typed notes to email, print, or share them anywhere as PDFs. ■ Send a link to your notebooks to work on the same notes. ■ Import documents by emailing them to your custom Goodnotes email. For students: Ace your exams with ease ■ Record audio notes that are magically synced to your iPhone or iPad exact moment you write: perfect for lectures, seminars, and presentations. ■ Take handwritten notes that stay fully searchable: instantly find any word across every class notebook, even mid-lecture. ■ Study and practice straight from your notes with study Sets: flashcards built on active recall and spaced repetition. ■ Use AI to summarize, shorten, change the tone of your words, and turn messy handwritten or typed student notes into polished, structured study material. For planners and journalers: Let your creativity flow ■ Plan your week, month, or year on your iPhone/ iPad with built-in and importable planner templates, fully customizable to match how you plan. ■ Keep a daily journal alongside your planner. Combine handwriting, typed reflections, photos, and stickers on the same page. ■ Use Goodnotes AI to summarize a week's worth of journal entries on your iPhone or iPad into key themes and takeaways. ■ Customize the size and color of your paper templates to create the planner or journal you want. ■ Add, create, or import stickers, stamps, washi tapes, images, and more on your iPad. Digital notebooks: unlimited notebooks for the price of a single physical one ■ Combine handwriting and typed text on one page, alongside images, stickers, diagrams, and doodles. ■ Create digital notebooks, planners, and journals with customizable paper templates, including Blank Paper, Ruled Paper, Cornell Paper, Checklists, Planners, and more. ■ Navigate long documents with ease. PDF tables of contents are automatically imported, or create custom outlines yourself. ■ Back up all your handwritten and typed notes to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, and use iCloud to sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac — so your notes are always safe. ■ Edit your handwriting by resizing it, changing the text color, or moving it to another spot on the page. Privacy Policy: https://www.goodnotes.com/privacy-policy Terms and Conditions: https://www.goodnotes.com/terms-and-conditions

About

studysesh

Read full description

studysesh helps you run focused study sessions and keep distractions out, across iOS and macOS. Create a session with a subject and Pomodoro-style blocks (study + break). When it’s time to focus, studysesh applies your restrictions and keeps you accountable. Key features: - Build custom focus sessions: study/break blocks, durations, and subject - Block distracting apps and websites while you focus - iOS: uses Screen Time (Family Controls) for app and web blocking - macOS: monitors selected apps/sites (requires Accessibility permission) - Sync sessions across your linked devices using nearby peer-to-peer connections - See your progress with stats like total focus time, sessions completed, and blocked distractions - iOS Live Activity support (on supported devices) to keep the timer visible Subscriptions & purchases: - New users get a free first week of access. - After that, continued use requires an in-app purchase (monthly, yearly, or lifetime options). - You can restore purchases and manage subscriptions anytime from the Subscription screen. Notes: - Some features require granting the relevant system permissions (Screen Time on iOS, Accessibility on macOS). - Session history and stats are stored on-device. Optional feedback surveys open in your browser. Legal: - Privacy Policy: https://studysesh.xyz/privacy - Terms of Use (Apple EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Goodnotes4 screens
studysesh4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Goodnotes at #104 against studysesh's unranked. studysesh's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Goodnotes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and studysesh sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Goodnotes versus studysesh: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoodnotesstudysesh
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (467K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews33.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings467K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#104 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.616.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size778 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoodnotes Limitedstudysesh

Bugs and requests

Goodnotes

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

studysesh

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Goodnotes

Subscriptions4
  • AI Pass (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Essential (Yearly)7 Days trial$11.991 Year
  • Essential (Yearly)1 Year trial2 variants$11.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Goodnotes Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$35.991 Year
One-time5
  • Goodnotes 6 Free TrialFree
  • Marketplace Content$1.99
  • Marketplace Content$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Goodnotes 6 One-Time Payment$28.99
  • Special Edition$35.99
3 purchases

studysesh

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$79.99

Questions

Is Goodnotes free?
Goodnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is studysesh free?
studysesh is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Goodnotes or studysesh have ads?
Neither Goodnotes nor studysesh shows ads.

Other comparisons