Goodnotes vs Rocketbook (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Goodnotes grades higher than Rocketbook: 3.6 against 2.0 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 the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money.
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
Rocketbook
Reusable paper notebooks that scan to cloud services via a free app
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 Rocketbook if
- Fits if you like writing on paper and want a copy in your cloud storage
- Works for people who reuse the same pages over and over
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want something free to try: the app needs a notebook first
- Tight if you write a lot, as a Core notebook has 32 or 36 pages and pens are sold separately
- Watch out: bundles, sizes and the Pro line cost more, and we didn't read the Pro prices
- Skip it if you want to search or edit notes on a laptop: the app is phones only
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAGoodnotesExcellent | 2.0GPARocketbookFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AA Core notebook is $34.99 once, under a year of the category's middle subscription at $5.99 a month. Pens and bundles cost more. |
| 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. | FThe app is free, but it only works with a Rocketbook page, so the way in is buying a notebook. |
| 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. | CReusable pages, scan to email and cloud services, transcription and smart lists. The listing's gaps: transcription works best on lined, dot grid and blank pages, and it is paper, not a notes library. |
| 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. You choose scan destinations in the app, and learn which symbols on a page send where. |
| 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. | CiPhone and Android only, though it sends to Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote, Slack and others. Some destinations are limited to one of the two phones. |
| Best for | handwritten notes and PDF markup on an iPad | a reusable notebook that scans to your cloud |
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 Rocketbook. How we grade
Where they differ
- Goodnotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Goodnotes also covers whiteboard.
- Rocketbook also covers tasks.
At a glance
| Goodnotes | Rocketbook | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $11.99 per year (Essential) | $34.99 one-time (Core notebook); the app is free |
| 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. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Goodnotes Limited | Rocketbook |
| Price read from | goodnotes.com | getrocketbook.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.
Rocketbook
- Notebook prices shown are starting prices; sizes and bundles cost more, and pens are sold separately.
- Transcription works best on lined, dot grid and blank pages, per the site.
- The app lists iOS and Android only, and some destinations are limited to one of the two.
- A Pro notebook line and other products exist; their prices were not read.
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.
Rocketbook
- Reusable pages
- Write with compatible pens, scan the page, then wipe it with a damp towel to use it again.
- Scan to cloud destinations
- Up to seven shortcut symbols can each send a scan to a service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, OneNote or Slack.
- Smart Titles and Smart Tags
- Handwritten titles between hashtags name the scanned file, and tags written on the page are passed to some destinations.
- Transcription
- Handwritten pages can be turned into typed text when sent to supported destinations such as email, Evernote or Google Drive.
- Smart Lists
- A handwritten list with checkboxes is detected and converted into a checklist you can tick off digitally.
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.
Rocketbook
Core$34.99
one-time, from; Letter or Executive size
Reusable notebook with lined or dotted pages, in Letter (32 pages) or Executive (36 pages) sizes.
Fusion$37.99
one-time, from
Planner and notebook in one, with calendars, to-do and idea lists, a goal tracker and note pages.
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.
Rocketbook
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Goodnotes or Rocketbook?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Goodnotes starts at $11.99 per year (Essential), and Rocketbook starts at $34.99 one-time (Core notebook); the app is free.
Which has a free plan, Goodnotes or Rocketbook?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Goodnotes has a free plan. Rocketbook does not.
Which platforms do Goodnotes and Rocketbook run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Goodnotes lists a web app and macOS and Windows apps. Both list 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.