# DocuNote vs Goodnotes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DocuNote at 100% against Goodnotes's 34%. DocuNote also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Goodnotes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (457K vs 1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

DocuNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 457K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of DocuNote's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

DocuNote ships an update every 2 months, Goodnotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DocuNote | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/docunote/id504505108/reviews)** | [4.7 (457K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **457K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 33.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#95** |
| Size | 18 MB | 795 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IntraNote a/s](https://appshunter.io/developer/504505131) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### DocuNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/docunote/id504505108)

Access and manage your company's documents from the DocuNote system. Quickly find, browse, and share files, photos, and videos. Securely access your data with advanced login options and offline caching for faster retrieval.

**Highlights:** Instant access to company documents, Browse organization tree and recent files, Use favorites and saved searches, Search for documents, projects, and folders, Save photos, videos, and email attachments, Share documents via email or Dropbox, Offline caching for faster access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #95 Top Grossing · Productivity, #113 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 DocuNote free?

DocuNote 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, DocuNote or Goodnotes?

DocuNote is rated higher. DocuNote averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 457K ratings.

### Do DocuNote or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither DocuNote nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

DocuNote ships an update every 2 months, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, DocuNote was updated on June 2, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 28, 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.*