Comparison

Pages vs Goodnotes

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

Head to head
About

Pages

Create visually appealing documents with a wide range of templates and editing tools. Enhance your work with multimedia, track changes, and collaborate seamlessly. Offers advanced features for writing, design, and presentation.

Highlights
  • Apple-designed templates
  • Add images, video, audio
  • Track changes and comments
  • Screen View for mobile editing
  • Interactive EPUB creation
  • Drawing and annotation with Apple Pencil
  • Writing Tools for AI assistance
Features
Read full description

Pages is now part of Apple Creator Studio, an amazing collection of Apple’s most powerful creative apps designed to help you bring your ideas to life. The suite includes Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage — plus premium content and intelligence features in Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and Freeform, all in one simple plan. Creating, viewing, and editing documents in Pages, as well as collaborating with others in real time, does not require a subscription. Create beautiful documents with Pages on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Start with an Apple-designed template for a report, resume, poster, or digital book. Easily add images, movies, audio, tables, charts, and shapes. Use comments, change tracking, and highlights to review your work. On iPhone and iPad, Screen View optimizes content for your screen, making it easier to edit. Get Started Quickly • Work from iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a PC with iCloud.com • Select from a wide variety of Apple-designed templates • Add from a library of shapes, tables, and charts with pre-defined styles • Import and edit Microsoft Word and text files Create Beautiful Documents • Format your document with gorgeous styles, fonts, and textures • Make your content more engaging with recorded audio, video, and image galleries • Create page templates to keep the design consistent across your page layout document • Use powerful graphics tools including image background removal and masking • Design interactive EPUB books that can be shared with others or published to Apple Books • Draw, write or annotate with Apple Pencil on iPad Advanced Tools • Use the table of contents view to easily navigate your document or book • Add comments and join threaded conversations • Turn on change tracking to mark up a document as you edit it • Create footnotes and endnotes and view character, word, and paragraph counts • Add elegant mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation • Use presenter mode on iPhone and iPad to auto scroll text while giving a speech • Seamless integration with EndNote for inserting citations on Mac* Share with Anyone • Share your document publicly or collaborate with specific people using iCloud or Box • Make changes from any device and see a list of changes from others in real-time • Export your document in EPUB, Microsoft Word, RTF, TXT, and PDF format Apple Intelligence • Use Writing Tools to proofread, rewrite, summarize, and compose text • Create your own fun images with Image Playground based on a description Some features of Apple Creator Studio require an Apple Intelligence–capable device. For full system requirements and usage limits for Apple Creator Studio intelligence features, see Apple Support article 125029. * EndNote sold separately. EndNote integration requires a plug-in available from Apple Support.

About

Goodnotes

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
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

Screenshots

Pages4 screens
Goodnotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pages at none against Goodnotes's 20. Pages also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 34%). Goodnotes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Pages asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Pages against 4.7 for Goodnotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 551K and 455K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Pages's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pages ships an update every 3 months, Goodnotes weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pages versus Goodnotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPagesGoodnotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (551K ratings)4.7 (455K ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.4% of reviews — better33.6% of reviews
Number of ratings551K — better455K
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#86 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size656 MB794 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAppleGoodnotes Limited

Customer experience

Pages

All ratings550,742 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews7,856 reviews
Positive59.4%
Neutral9.3%
Negative31.3%

Goodnotes

All ratings454,853 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews6,458 reviews
Positive33.6%
Neutral11.3%
Negative55.0%

User reviews

Pages

From 551K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Versatile writing app
  • 🎨 Excellent creative features
  • 🤝 Collaborative capabilities
  • 📚 Great for writing books/stories
  • 🏫 Useful for school/work documents

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional glitches and crashes
  • 🔍 Difficult to find/organize documents
  • 🖋️ Frustrating cursor and text editing
  • 🔄 Inconsistent sync and file management
  • 🔢 Limited font and formatting options

Goodnotes

From 455K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and crashes
  • 🔍 Syncing and iCloud issues
  • 🔍 Lack of flexibility with text input
  • 🔍 Limited eraser and highlighting options
  • 🔍 Subpar performance on Mac app

Bugs and requests

Pages

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Documents disappearing or failing to save
  • Keyboard freezing and unresponsive typing
  • Formatting issues when importing/exporting files
  • Compatibility problems with older devices/OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more font and formatting options
  • Improve cursor and text editing controls
  • Streamline document organization and search
  • Enhance sync and offline editing capabilities
  • Integrate grammar/spelling correction tools

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

In-app purchases

None

Pages

No in-app purchases

16 purchases

Goodnotes

Subscriptions5
  • AI Pass (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Goodnotes 6 (1 Year)1 Year trial$9.991 Year
  • Essential (Yearly)7 Days trial$11.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Essential (Yearly)1 Year trial2 variants$11.991 Year
  • Goodnotes Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$35.991 Year
One-time11
  • Bunny Oasis StickersFree
  • Medicine-Academia Sticker SheeFree
  • Goodnotes 6 Free TrialFree
Show 8 more
  • Marketplace Content$1.99
  • Marketplace Content$6.99
  • Marketplace Content$8.99
  • GoodNotes 5 Unlock$9.99
  • Marketplace Content$9.99
  • Marketplace Content$10.99
  • Goodnotes 6 One-Time Payment$28.99
  • Special Edition$35.99

Questions

Is Pages free?
Pages 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, Pages or Goodnotes?
Goodnotes is rated higher. Pages averages 4.6 out of 5 from 551K ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 455K ratings.
Do Pages or Goodnotes have ads?
Neither Pages nor Goodnotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pages or Goodnotes?
Pages ships an update every 3 months, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Pages was updated on September 24, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 24, 2026.

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