Goodnotes vs reMarkable (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Goodnotes grades higher than reMarkable: 3.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 2, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Goodnotes grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Goodnotes
Handwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant
reMarkable
Paper tablets for handwritten notes, plus an optional subscription
Which one is for you
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
Pick reMarkable if
- Fits if you want a screen with no apps or notifications for handwriting and reading
- Works for people who mark up Word and Google Docs files by hand
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want colour or the pen bundle: prices shown are the starting configuration
- Tight if you skip Connect: files not touched in 50 days leave the cloud and the apps can't take notes
- Watch out: the site says it doesn't ship to every country, and sells from its own web shop
- Not for you if you want a try-before-you-buy: only a 50-day return period
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoodnotesExcellent | 1.8GPAreMarkableWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CPaper Pure is $399, Paper Pro Move $449 and Paper Pro $629 as starting prices, plus Connect at $3.99 a month or $39.90 a year if you want the full set of features. It is hardware, so we set it against other tablets, not note apps. |
| Free plan and 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. | FNothing is free: you buy the tablet first. The 50-day Connect trial and 50-day return period are not a free way in. |
| Features | 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. | CHandwriting, conversion to text, Word and Google Docs import, and sync to phone and computer. The listing's gaps: without Connect the apps can't take notes and old files leave the cloud. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. A device to pair with an account, with its own way of working to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BMobile and desktop apps, with Slack, Miro, Google Docs and Word. The pages don't list which systems the apps run on. |
| Best for | handwritten notes and PDF markup on an iPad | handwritten notes on a paper-like tablet |
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: Goodnotes and reMarkable. How we grade
Where they differ
- Goodnotes also covers transcription and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Goodnotes | reMarkable | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $11.99 per year (Essential) | $399 one-time (Paper Pure); Connect from $3.99 per month |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on Essential and Pro; 30-day free trial on Teams. | 50-day free trial of Connect when pairing a device; 50-day return period on tablets |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Goodnotes Limited | reMarkable AS |
| Price read from | goodnotes.com | remarkable.com |
| Checked | Nov 2, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
reMarkable
- Without Connect, only files used and synced in the last 50 days stay in the cloud, and the apps cannot take notes.
- Prices shown are the starting configuration of each tablet; the Marker and other bundles raise the price.
- The site says it does not ship to every country, and its tablets are sold from its own web shop.
- The pages do not list which operating systems the desktop and mobile apps support.
Key features
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.
reMarkable
- Paper-like writing surface
- Tablets have no apps or notifications; the screen is built for handwriting, reading and annotating documents.
- Handwriting to text
- Convert handwritten notes to typed text and select, move or layer work on the device.
- Sync to phone and computer
- Mobile and desktop apps let you view, organize and import files; taking and editing notes in the apps needs Connect.
- Connect subscription
- Adds unlimited cloud storage, handwriting search, templates, and sending notes to Slack or Miro.
- Import Word and Google Docs
- With Connect, Word files and Google Docs can be turned into notebooks to read and mark up with the pen.
Plans
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.
reMarkable
Connect, monthly$3.99
per month
Optional subscription: unlimited cloud storage, handwriting search, note-taking in the apps, and sharing tools.
Connect, annual$39.90
per year
The same Connect subscription billed yearly, described as 12 months for the price of 10.
Paper Pure$399
one-time, starting price
Black-and-white paper tablet; the price shown is the starting configuration, with up to 3 weeks of battery life.
Paper Pro Move$449
one-time, starting price
The most portable tablet, with a 7.3-inch color display and up to 2 weeks of battery life.
Paper Pro$629
one-time, starting price
Full-size 11.8-inch color tablet with an adjustable reading light; higher configurations cost more.
Ways to pay less
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.
reMarkable
- Annual discount
Connect annual billing: 12 months for 10
Connect costs $39.90 a year instead of $3.99 a month, which reMarkable describes as 12 months for the price of 10.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Goodnotes or reMarkable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Goodnotes starts at $11.99 per year (Essential), and reMarkable starts at $399 one-time (Paper Pure); Connect from $3.99 per month.
Which has a free plan, Goodnotes or reMarkable?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Goodnotes has a free plan. reMarkable does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Goodnotes and reMarkable run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Goodnotes lists a web app. Both list macOS, 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.