# New Note Notebook vs Goodnotes

The clearest difference is rating: Goodnotes at 4.7 against New Note Notebook's 2.0. Goodnotes also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (455K vs 7). New Note Notebook's advantage is iOS requirement (14.1 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. New Note Notebook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Goodnotes has 455K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 33% and 34% positive.

New Note Notebook ships an update every 5 days, Goodnotes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | New Note Notebook | Goodnotes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-note-notebook-draw-memo/id995861016/reviews) | **[4.7 (455K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodnotes-ai-notes-docs-pdf/id1444383602/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **455K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **33.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#88** |
| Size | 24 MB | 794 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JIN HWAN KIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/576623931) | [Goodnotes Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708570616) |

## What reviewers say

### New Note Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/new-note-notebook-draw-memo/id995861016)

Create visually appealing notes and memos with a variety of professionally designed coloring paper styles. Easily edit and organize your entries with intuitive gallery and gesture controls. Enjoy a relaxing digital note-taking experience on your iPhone and iPad.

**Highlights:** Gallery interface, Custom coloring paper styles, Pinch and stretch zoom, Edit cells via press hold or swipe, Digital note-taking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| upgrade to pro | $3.99 | one-time |


### Goodnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #88 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 New Note Notebook free?

New Note Notebook 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, New Note Notebook or Goodnotes?

Goodnotes is rated higher. New Note Notebook averages 2.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Goodnotes averages 4.7 from 455K ratings.

### Do New Note Notebook or Goodnotes have ads?

New Note Notebook shows ads; Goodnotes does not.

### Which is updated more often, New Note Notebook or Goodnotes?

New Note Notebook ships an update every 5 days, and Goodnotes weekly. Most recently, New Note Notebook was updated on September 3, 2026 and Goodnotes on September 25, 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.*