# Keynote vs Goodnotes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Keynote at none against Goodnotes's 20. Keynote also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 34%) and device support (5 vs 3). Goodnotes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 463K ratings behind it against 83K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of Keynote's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Keynote ships an update every 3 months, Goodnotes weekly. Both last shipped on October 18, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Keynote | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (83K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keynote-design-presentations/id361285480/reviews) | **[4.7 (463K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 83K | **463K** |
| Positive reviews | **61.7% of reviews** | 33.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#107** |
| Size | 662 MB | 775 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple Distribution International](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Keynote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/keynote-design-presentations/id361285480)

Design and deliver professional presentations across Apple devices and even PCs. Utilize Apple-designed themes, add rich media, and apply cinematic animations. Collaborate in real-time and present confidently from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Apple-designed themes, Cinematic animations and transitions, Multi-presenter slideshows, Real-time collaboration, Import PowerPoint presentations, Export to PowerPoint, PDF, and more, Apple Intelligence writing and image tools

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Powerful features
- 💡 Great for presentations
- 🎨 Excellent animation and design tools
- 🤩 Fun and creative

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Exporting issues with video and animations
- 🔒 Limited remote control functionality
- 🔍 Lack of advanced text editing options
- 🤔 Confusing UI at times

**Reported bugs**

- Slides not displaying properly
- Presentation remote disconnecting unexpectedly
- Crashes when importing certain media files

**Requested features**

- Add more font and shape options
- Improve export capabilities for video and animations
- Enhance remote control functionality
- Streamline text editing experience


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Grossing · Productivity, #163 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Keynote free?

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

### Is Goodnotes free?

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

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

Goodnotes is rated higher. Keynote averages 4.4 out of 5 from 83K ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 463K ratings.

### Do Keynote or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Keynote nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

Keynote ships an update every 3 months, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Keynote was updated on October 18, 2026 and Goodnotes on October 18, 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.*