Concepts vs Goodnotes (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Goodnotes grades higher than Concepts: 3.6 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Goodnotes grades higher on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Concepts
Infinite-canvas sketching app with editable vector strokes
Goodnotes
Handwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant
Which one is for you
Pick Concepts if
- Fits if you sketch or mark up PDFs with a stylus
- Works for designers and architects who need real-world scale and DXF export
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you work on a Mac or in a browser, as neither is listed
- Tight if you stay free: 5 layers, JPG export only and no selection tool
- Watch out: one-time purchases only apply to the platform where you bought them
- Not for you if you want typed notes, because it is a drawing app first
Pick Goodnotes if
- Fits if you take notes by hand on an iPad with an Apple Pencil
- Works for marking up PDFs like lecture slides, contracts and reports
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're never paying, because the Free plan stops at 3 files, 100 MB, 20 minutes of audio and watermarked exports
- Skip it if you mostly type, as reviewers who like everything else describe the text tool as clunky
- Not for you if you'd use it mainly on Android or Windows, where Goodnotes says the full feature set isn't offered
- Watch out: one library synced across Apple and non-Apple devices needs Pro at $35.99 a year, and AI Pass is $9.99 a month on top
- Watch out: the one-time Special Edition is Apple only, has limited AI and can't use Goodnotes Cloud
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAConceptsGood | 3.6GPAGoodnotesExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $29.99 a year or $4.99 a month, which works out under the $5.99 category middle. One-time Essentials unlocks start at $1.99, but each one covers a single platform. | AEssential is $11.99 a year, about $1 a month, and Pro is $35.99, about $3, against a category middle of $6 every month. On Apple devices there's also a one-time Special Edition at $35.99. The dear bit is the AI Pass add-on, at $9.99 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | CBasic is free with unlimited drawings, 5 layers and JPG export. Selection tools, more layers and PNG, PSD or SVG export are paid, and Pro has a 7-day trial. | CFree for ever, and small with it: 3 files in total, 100 MB of storage, 20 minutes of audio recording and a watermark on every export. Enough to see whether you like the pen feel, nowhere near a term of lectures. Essential and Pro have a 7-day trial. |
| Features | CInfinite canvas, editable vectors, grids and snap, and PDF markup. But custom brushes, objects and presentation mode are marked iOS only. | AIt does the whole job, and one thing its rivals don't: the AI answers questions from your own handwriting and cites the page it took the answer from. Around that, searchable handwriting, PDF markup, an infinite whiteboard, typed documents and audio recorded in step with your writing. Typed text is the weak bit. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and start drawing, with nothing to set up. | A4.72 from about 460,000 App Store ratings, above the 4.7 from 1,000 ratings an A needs. Writing by hand and still being able to search it is the thing reviewers keep naming. |
| Platforms and integrations | BiOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows, so phones and a computer are covered. No Mac or web app is listed, and a cross-platform release is marked as coming soon. | AiPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows and the web, with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Calendar hooked in. Two catches: one library synced across Apple and non-Apple devices needs Pro, and Goodnotes says the non-iPad versions don't have every feature. |
| Best for | stylus sketching on an endless canvas | handwritten notes and PDF markup on an iPad |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Concepts and Goodnotes. How we grade
Price against what you get
Concepts starts at $2.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Goodnotes starts at $1 a month when paid by the year and scores 4.0.
Goodnotes scores higher and starts $1.50 a month lower. Of the other note-taking apps on the chart, 8 score higher than Concepts for less, and none scores higher than Goodnotes for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Goodnotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Concepts also covers diagrams.
- Goodnotes also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Concepts | Goodnotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $29.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Pro) | $11.99 per year (Essential) |
| Free plan | Basic: handcrafted brushes, color wheels, five layers, the infinite canvas, unlimited drawings and basic JPG export. | Free forever: up to 3 files in total across notebooks, whiteboards and text documents, 100 MB of storage, a 5 MB import limit, 20 minutes of audio recording and watermarked exports. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of Pro through the App Store, Play Store or Microsoft Store. | 7-day free trial on Essential and Pro; 30-day free trial on Teams. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | TopHatch, Inc. | Goodnotes Limited |
| Price read from | concepts.app | goodnotes.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 2, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Concepts
- Several features, including custom brushes, objects and presentation mode, are marked iOS only; the vendor says other platforms are catching up.
- The pages list iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows; no Mac or web app is listed, and a cross-platform release is marked as coming soon.
- One-time purchases apply only to the platform where they were bought.
- The site says prices vary by region and points to each app store for the exact figure.
Goodnotes
- The Free plan stops at 3 files in total, 100 MB of storage and 20 minutes of audio recording, and its exports carry a watermark.
- Keeping one library in sync between Apple and non-Apple devices needs Goodnotes Cloud, which is included only from Pro.
- Goodnotes says the Android, Windows and web versions do not offer the full range of features available on iPad.
- Essential, Pro and Teams are priced per year, and AI Pass is a separate $9.99 per month add-on for more AI credits.
Key features
Concepts
- Infinite canvas
- Sketch with zoom and movable artboards, and share just the part you choose.
- Editable vectors
- Strokes stay adjustable after drawing, with infinite layers on the paid tiers.
- Precision tools
- Grids, line smoothing, live snap and shape guides, with real-world scale and measurement.
- PDF and image markup
- Drag in images and PDFs, sign documents and mark up files before sending them back.
- Export formats
- PDF, PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF (AutoCAD); the page ties several formats to paid unlocks.
- Presentation mode
- Sketch live for a team or client. The page marks this as iOS only.
Goodnotes
- Handwritten notebooks
- Notebooks mix handwriting, typed text, images and stickers on customizable paper templates. Handwriting stays searchable and can be converted to text.
- PDF annotation
- Imported PDFs are highlighted and marked up by hand, searched alongside notes, and keep their table of contents for navigating long documents.
- Whiteboards and text documents
- An infinite-canvas whiteboard for diagrams and mind maps and typed text documents with inline blocks sit in the same library as notebooks.
- Audio recording and meeting notes
- Audio is recorded in sync with what you write. On Pro, Goodnotes AI for Meetings transcribes and summarizes discussions and links notes to calendar events.
- Goodnotes AI
- An in-app assistant answers questions from handwriting, typed text and PDFs, with citations back to the source page. AI credits vary by plan; AI Pass adds about 12 times more.
- Sharing and real-time collaboration
- Every plan can share documents by link. Essential can join real-time collaborative documents, and Pro can host them and share by private link.
Plans
Concepts
Basic$0
Infinite Sketchbook: five layers, unlimited drawings, paper and grid types, JPG export.
Pro$29.99
per year, or $4.99 per month
Over 200 libraries, services and features across iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Windows.
Essentials (one-time)$1.99
one-time, per platform; the page lists $1.99 to $39.99 each
Unlocks selection and editing tools, infinite layers, shape guides, custom grids and PNG, PSD, SVG and DXF export. Brush packs, objects and PDF are sold separately.
Teams$100
per license / year ($10 per license billed monthly)
Concepts Pro for a team with self-service billing, re-assignable licenses and multiple admins.
Goodnotes
Free$0
Up to 3 files, 100 MB of storage, 20 minutes of audio recording, limited sharing and limited Goodnotes AI usage.
Essential$11.99
per year
Unlimited files and audio recording, 5 GB of storage, exports without a watermark, basic Goodnotes AI and Google Calendar integration.
Pro$35.99
per year
Adds cross-platform library sync, private link sharing, hosting real-time collaboration, Drive integration and advanced AI including meeting notes.
Special Edition$35.99
one-time purchase, Apple devices only (US App Store)
Unlimited note-taking on Apple devices without a subscription. Limited Goodnotes AI and not eligible for Goodnotes Cloud.
Teams$120
per seat / year
Everything in Pro, plus SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing and user and admin management.
EnterpriseCustom
For 25 seats and above: AI permissions, the Microsoft Intune App SDK, dedicated account support and custom contracts.
Ways to pay less
Concepts
- Education
Free licenses for qualifying schools
The pricing section lists free Concepts licenses for the entire school at qualifying institutions.
Goodnotes
- Education
Goodnotes Education is free for K-12 schools
K-12 schools get Goodnotes Education at no cost, with no trial period, including its classroom tools for teachers and students. It currently works only on Apple devices.
- Lifetime license
Special Edition one-time purchase on Apple devices
Special Edition unlocks unlimited note-taking on Apple devices without a subscription and is listed at $35.99 on the US App Store. Availability varies by region.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Concepts or Goodnotes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Goodnotes is cheaper to start with: $1 a month when paid by the year, against $2.50 a month when paid by the year for Concepts. Concepts starts at $29.99 per year, or $4.99 per month (Pro), and Goodnotes starts at $11.99 per year (Essential).
Which has a free plan, Concepts or Goodnotes?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Concepts and Goodnotes have a free plan.
Which platforms do Concepts and Goodnotes run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Goodnotes lists a web app and a macOS app. Both list Windows, iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.