Flexcil vs Goodnotes

Flexcil

• Students who study from PDF textbooks and lecture slides
• Readers who collect excerpts from several documents into one notebook
• K-12 schools, which can apply for free licenses

Goodnotes

• Handwritten notes on an iPad with Apple Pencil
• Marking up PDFs such as contracts, reports and lecture slides
• Students who want audio synced to their lecture notes
• K-12 schools using iPads, where Goodnotes Education is free

Flexcil

• No pricing page is published. The US App Store lists Flexcil Standard at $9.99 and Premium at $8.99 without saying whether either is one-time or recurring.
• Native apps are offered for iOS and Android only. The browser version is titled Flexcil Web Viewer, and the terms describe it as a web viewer.
• Google Play's US listing shows only a range of $2.49 to $31.99 per item, so Android prices may differ from the App Store's.
• The free download carries advertising, and its feature limits are not stated on the site or the App Store listing.

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.

Flexcil

Pen gestures for PDF markup

A pen gesture highlights or underlines text, and the same kind of gesture captures text or images from a PDF into a notebook in two steps.

Notebook beside the document

A handwritten notebook sits over the PDF so reading, annotating and note-taking share one screen, and a popup viewer shows a second source while writing.

Reference links

Content captured into a notebook is linked back to its place in the original document, which keeps material from several PDFs connected.

PDF editing and page views

Merges PDFs and edits pages, outlines and bookmarks, with single-page, 2-page and 4-page views for reading.

Audio recording and note replay

Recordings are synced with handwriting, so tapping a note plays back what was being said when it was written.

Cloud sync and masking pen

Handwritten notes sync automatically between tablet and phone. A masking pen hides content for memorization and counts correct and incorrect answers.

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.

Flexcil

• Free$0

  The free download, which the App Store notes contains advertising. Its limits are not listed on the site or the store listing.

• Premium$8.99

  billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing

  Listed as an in-app purchase without a description. Flexcil's terms name Flexcil Premium as its paid service.

• Flexcil Standard$9.99

  billing basis not shown on the US App Store listing

  Listed as an in-app purchase without a description of what it unlocks.

• Bundles and planner content$11.99 - $14.99

  per item on the US App Store; basis not shown

  Standard or Premium bundled with planner or toolbar skin packs at $12.99 to $14.99, and planner content sold separately at $11.99 to $13.99.

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.

Flexcil

• Education

  Free licenses for K-12 schools

  K-12 schools can apply for free licenses with an institutional email domain. Flexcil says universities, private education and individual requests may not be granted them.

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.