# Calendars vs Goodnotes

Calendars and Goodnotes both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 55% of Calendars's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (455K vs 122K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calendars sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Calendars against 4.7 for Goodnotes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 122K and 455K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Calendars's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

Calendars ships an update every 11 days, Goodnotes weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calendars | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (122K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendars-schedule-planner/id608834326/reviews) | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 122K | **455K** |
| Positive reviews | **55.4% of reviews** | 33.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #104 | **#86** |
| Size | 407 MB | 794 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.2** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Calendars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calendars-schedule-planner/id608834326)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Free · Productivity, #105 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This app combines a calendar, task manager, daily planner, and habit tracker. It helps users plan their day, build habits, boost productivity, and stay organized with seamless syncing across all Apple devices. Features include event creation, to-do list management, natural language input, and integration with popular meeting platforms.

**Highlights:** Calendar, task, and habit management, Daily, weekly, and monthly views, Natural language event creation, To-do list organization, Cross-device syncing, Meeting platform integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calendars PRO 1 Month | $3.99 | per month |
| Calendars by Readdle: Interesting Calendars | $3.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO 1 Month | $3.99 | per month |
| Calendars PRO 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO 1 Year | $19.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO 1 Year | $21.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| Calendars PRO Lifetime | Free | one-time |
| Invites & Attendees Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Smart Input Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Full Upgrade | $4.99 | one-time |
| Interesting Calendars | $5.99 | one-time |
| My schedule planner, Organizer | $6.99 | one-time |
| Full Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Reminders & Calendars | $19.99 | one-time |
| Recurring Events | $31.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent calendar app
- 👍 Easy to use and organize
- 🎨 Helpful color-coding
- 📆 Seamless integration with other calendars
- 🗓️ Detailed monthly/weekly views

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and data loss
- 💰 Concerns over subscription model
- 🕰️ Cumbersome date/time selection process
- 🔍 Limited location search functionality
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing events and appointments
- Upgrade process causing data loss
- Freezing and crashing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Recurring events for free users
- Customizable widgets and app icons
- Ability to archive/restore past events
- Improved Apple Watch integration
- Shared calendars and family management


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Productivity, #115 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 Calendars free?

Calendars 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, Calendars or Goodnotes?

Calendars and Goodnotes are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 122K and 455K ratings respectively.

### Do Calendars or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Calendars nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

Calendars ships an update every 11 days, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Calendars was updated on September 24, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 24, 2026.

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

Calendars currently peaks at #104 in the App Store charts, and Goodnotes at #86. 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.*