# Notability vs Goodnotes

Notability and Goodnotes are too close to call on the numbers: across 11 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Notability sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Goodnotes sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Notability against 4.7 for Goodnotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 459K and 468K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Notability's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notability | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (459K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-pdf/id360593530/reviews)** | [4.7 (468K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 459K | **468K** |
| Positive reviews | **36.1% of reviews** | 33.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #110 | **#106** |
| Size | 457 MB | 781 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ginger Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/318126112) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Notability

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notability-ai-notes-and-pdf/id360593530)

**Currently charting:** #110 Top Grossing · Productivity, #181 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture, organize, and enhance your ideas with handwritten notes, document annotation, and audio recording. This app streamlines learning and work by making your notes searchable, shareable, and interactive.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and sketching, PDF and document annotation, Audio recording synced to notes, Handwriting recognition, AI-powered summaries and takeaways, Customizable organization with folders, Cross-device sync

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notability Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $7.99 | per month |
| Notability Plus | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Notability Lite | $14.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Notability Pro | $19.99 | per month |
| Notability Pro | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for note-taking
- 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📝 Excellent organization and file management
- 🎙️ Useful audio recording feature
- 🔍 Handwriting recognition and search

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues with iCloud
- 🔍 Limited search and organization options
- 🖍️ Frustrating highlighter behavior
- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model
- 🔧 Buggy after recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Notes disappearing or getting corrupted
- Frequent crashes and performance issues
- Palm rejection problems after updates
- Inconsistent behavior when importing files

**Requested features**

- Improved folder/hierarchy organization
- More shape recognition and drawing tools
- Side-by-side viewing of multiple notes
- Ability to edit/rename audio recordings
- Better integration with other apps and services


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Grossing · Productivity, #160 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture ideas and unlock insights with powerful AI tools for note-taking, brainstorming, and document creation. Enhance productivity for professionals and students with features like AI transcription, summarization, and interactive study sets.

**Highlights:** AI-powered transcription and summarization, Infinite canvas for brainstorming and diagramming, Handwritten notes with searchable text, Interactive study sets with flashcards, Document creation with rich text blocks, Real-time collaboration on notes, 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notability free?

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

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

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

Notability is rated higher. Notability averages 4.8 out of 5 from 459K ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 468K ratings.

### Do Notability or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Notability nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

Notability ships an update weekly, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Notability was updated on November 10, 2026 and Goodnotes on November 10, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Notability or Goodnotes?

Notability currently peaks at #110 in the App Store charts, and Goodnotes at #106. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*