# Feenote vs Goodnotes

Feenote and Goodnotes both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Feenote's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Feenote also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). Goodnotes's advantage is ratings volume (455K vs 2K) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Feenote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months 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 — 4.8 for Feenote against 4.7 for Goodnotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Feenote's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

Feenote ships an update every 8 days, Goodnotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Feenote | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feenote-notes-and-lists/id822218131/reviews)** | [4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2K | **455K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.1% of reviews** | 33.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#86** |
| Size | 110 MB | 794 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [惠明 劳](https://appshunter.io/developer/1059680523) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### Feenote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feenote-notes-and-lists/id822218131)

Capture ideas, inspiration, and creativity with a simple yet powerful note-taking application. Supports handwriting with styluses or fingers, image insertion, and sharing options. Protect your notes with a passcode.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil or stylus, Customizable pen color, thickness, and style, Add images to notes, App security passcode, Share notes to friends or social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Months Subscription | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription(1 Year) | $9.99 | per year |
| Professional/3 months | $4.99 | one-time |
| Professional/one year | $9.99 | one-time |
| Professional | $19.99 | one-time |
| Professional / permanent | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 👍 Helpful for school/work
- 🔒 Secure with password
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Organized and efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs
- 💰 Some features require payment
- 🖋️ Limited handwriting capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Handwriting recognition issues
- Compatibility problems with certain devices
- Unexpected crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More handwriting options
- Ability to add images/drawings
- Offline access
- Backup/sync capabilities


### 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 Feenote free?

Feenote 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, Feenote or Goodnotes?

Feenote is rated higher. Feenote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 455K ratings.

### Do Feenote or Goodnotes have ads?

Neither Feenote nor Goodnotes shows ads.

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

Feenote ships an update every 8 days, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Feenote was updated on September 22, 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.*