# Whiteboard vs Goodnotes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Whiteboard at 75% against Goodnotes's 34%. Goodnotes's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (455K vs 944). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Whiteboard sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Goodnotes sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Goodnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 944, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Whiteboard'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.

Whiteboard ships an update every 9 days, Goodnotes weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Whiteboard | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (944 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiteboard-infinity-canvas/id496465537/reviews) | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 944 | **455K** |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 33.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#85** |
| Size | 80 MB | 794 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Endless AI LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/636460123) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Whiteboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whiteboard-infinity-canvas/id496465537)

This digital whiteboard app offers a simple yet powerful interface for various uses, from teaching and design to note-taking and doodling. It provides flexible canvas options, including multi-page and infinite free-form canvases, and supports PDF imports.

**Highlights:** Infinite free-form canvas, Multi-page canvas option, Direct PDF import, Geometric shape drawing, Simple and clean interface, Quick startup, Small storage space

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Whiteboard Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| Whiteboard Pro | $12.99 | per year |
| Recharge 100 Points - Attempt | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sponsorship to unlock  I | $14.99 | one-time |
| Sponsorship to unlock  II | $17.99 | one-time |
| Sponsorship to unlock  III | $24.99 | one-time |
| Recharge 1000 Points | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 💡 Useful templates and backgrounds
- 🤩 Great for quick sketching and note-taking
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Eraser issues (automatically switches to marker, hard to use)
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or performance issues
- 🔍 Limited customization options (e.g., pen size, colors)
- 🔍 Lack of advanced features (e.g., layers, text editing)

**Reported bugs**

- Eraser automatically switches to marker
- Drawing sometimes gets blurry or distorted
- App crashes or freezes after prolonged use
- Inability to delete or clear the canvas

**Requested features**

- Add undo/redo functionality
- Improve palm rejection and eraser usability
- Allow customizing pen size and color presets
- Implement text editing and formatting options
- Add ability to save/load drawings and annotate PDFs


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Grossing · Productivity, #114 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 Whiteboard free?

Whiteboard 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, Whiteboard or Goodnotes?

Goodnotes is rated higher. Whiteboard averages 4.3 out of 5 from 944 ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 455K ratings.

### Do Whiteboard or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Whiteboard nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

Whiteboard ships an update every 9 days, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Whiteboard was updated on September 24, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 24, 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.*