Comparison

Google Docs vs Goodnotes

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

Head to head
About

Google Docs

Create, edit, and collaborate on documents online in real time. Work together seamlessly with your team, even offline, and access a variety of file types. AI-powered features can help draft and refine content.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Offline editing
  • Template library
  • Multiple file type support
  • AI-powered drafting
  • Commenting and action items
Read full description

Create, edit, and collaborate on online documents with the Google Docs app. Work together in real time • Share documents with your team • Edit, comment, and add action items in real time Create anywhere, anytime—even offline • Capture spontaneous ideas on the fly • Get things done, even on the go, with offline mode • Save time and add polish with easy-to-use templates Edit and share multiple file types • Open a variety of files, including Microsoft Word files, right in Google Docs • Frictionless collaboration, no matter which application your teammates use • Convert and export files seamlessly Google Docs is part of Google Workspace: where teams of any size can chat, create, and collaborate. Google Workspace paid subscribers have access to additional Google Docs features, including: Use Gemini in Docs to quickly draft and edit content • Draft outlines, blog posts, briefs, and more on the go • Improve your writing with AI-powered suggestions Learn more about Google Docs: https://workspace.google.com/products/docs/ Follow us for more: • X: https://x.com/googleworkspace • Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/googleworkspace • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/googleworkspace

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

Google Docs4 screens
Goodnotes4 screens

Verdict

The call

Google Docs and Goodnotes both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Google Docs's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's. Google Docs also leads on ratings volume (3.2M vs 455K) and chart position (#9 vs #85). On price, rating, update cadence 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. Google Docs sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $199.99 per year 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Google Docs against 4.7 for Goodnotes. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Docs has 3.2M ratings behind it against 455K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Google Docs's written reviews are positive against 34% of Goodnotes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Google Docs versus Goodnotes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle DocsGoodnotes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.2M ratings) — better4.7 (455K ratings)
Positive reviews69.8% of reviews — better33.6% of reviews
Number of ratings3.2M — better455K
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#9 — better#85
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size348 MB794 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGoogleGoodnotes Limited

Customer experience

Google Docs

All ratings3,243,575 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews3,469 reviews
Positive69.8%
Neutral5.9%
Negative24.3%

Goodnotes

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

User reviews

Google Docs

From 3.2M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Convenient and accessible
  • 👍 Seamless collaboration
  • 🔒 Automatic saving
  • 💡 Offline functionality
  • 👍 Versatile for various uses

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Laggy performance and input delays
  • 👎 Limited formatting and customization options
  • 🔍 Difficult to organize and navigate documents
  • 👎 Compatibility issues with other platforms

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

Google Docs

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unexpected crashes and document loss
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Issues with image insertion and manipulation

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved document organization with folders
  • Expanded font and formatting options
  • Better integration with Microsoft Office
  • Smoother scrolling and navigation

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

1 purchases

Google Docs

Subscriptions1
  • Google AI Pro (5 TB)$199.991 Year
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 Google Docs free?
Google Docs 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, Google Docs or Goodnotes?
Google Docs is rated higher. Google Docs averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.2M ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 455K ratings.
Do Google Docs or Goodnotes have ads?
Neither Google Docs nor Goodnotes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Google Docs or Goodnotes?
Google Docs ships an update weekly, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, Google Docs was updated on September 24, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Google Docs or Goodnotes?
Google Docs currently peaks at #9 in the App Store charts, and Goodnotes at #85. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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