Goodnotes vs Saber
We give Goodnotes a 3.8 GPA and Saber a 3.6, out of 4.0. Goodnotes grades higher on features and ease of use. Saber grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money 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
Saber
Open-source handwritten notes app for phones, tablets and PCs
How we grade them
| 3.8GPAGoodnotesExcellent | 3.6GPASaberExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AEssential is $11.99 a year and Pro is $35.99 a year. That's about $1 and $3 a month, in a category where paid plans typically start at $5.99 a month. On Apple devices there's also a one-time Special Edition at $35.99. | AThe app is free everywhere. The only thing to pay for is sync storage on Saber's own server: sponsor any amount a month for 10 GB, or $5 a month for 50 GB. Students get the 10 GB plan free by emailing proof. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree forever, but tight: 3 files in total, 100 MB of storage, 20 minutes of audio recording and a watermark on exports. Enough to see if you like the pen feel, not enough for a term of lectures. Essential and Pro have a 7-day trial. | AThe full app is free on every platform, and each account on the official server comes with 5 GB of sync storage. Most people could stay here for good. |
| Features | AHandwritten notebooks you can search, PDF markup, an infinite whiteboard, typed documents and audio recorded in sync with what you write. An AI assistant answers from your handwriting and PDFs and cites the page. Several happy reviewers do call the typed text tool clunky. | BA highlighter that doesn't darken where it crosses itself, a dark mode that inverts notes, images and PDFs, folders nested as deep as you like, and notes encrypted before upload. Solid for handwriting. But sync only works through a Nextcloud server, and storage upgrades are done by hand. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 from about 460,000 App Store ratings. Writing by hand and still being able to search it is the thing reviewers keep naming. | BNo rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Sync means making a Nextcloud account first. On Linux the developer points you to the Flatpak, because the AppImage doesn't work on every system. |
| Platforms and integrations | AiPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows and the web, with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Calendar hooked in. Two catches: syncing one library between Apple and non-Apple devices needs Pro, and the non-iPad versions don't have every feature. | AAndroid (Google Play and F-Droid), iPhone, iPad, Mac, Windows and Linux. Sync runs on Nextcloud and you pick the server: Saber's own in the Netherlands, another provider's, or one you host. |
| Best for | handwritten notes and PDF markup on an iPad | free handwritten notes on every device you own |
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 Saber. How we grade
Where they differ
- Goodnotes starts at $11.99 per year (Essential). Saber starts at Any amount per month for 10 GB of sync storage; $5 per month for 50 GB.
- Only Goodnotes lists a web app.
- Only Saber lists a Linux app.
- Goodnotes can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Saber is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Goodnotes also covers transcription and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Goodnotes | Saber | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $11.99 per year (Essential) | Any amount per month for 10 GB of sync storage; $5 per month for 50 GB |
| 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. | The app is free on every platform, and each account on the official Saber Nextcloud server gets 5 GB of storage by default. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial on Essential and Pro; 30-day free trial on Teams. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Goodnotes Limited | Adil Hanney |
| Price read from | goodnotes.com | raw.githubusercontent.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Saber
- Students and others who take notes by hand on a tablet
- Marking up PDFs and printouts in a dark room
- People who want an open-source handwriting app on every device
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.
Saber
- Syncing needs an account on a Nextcloud server: the official Saber one, another provider's, or your own.
- Extra storage is bought by sponsoring the developer on GitHub Sponsors, then emailing him to have the account upgraded by hand.
- The server owner cannot read notes but can see sign-up details, connecting devices and metadata such as the size of each note.
- On Linux the developer recommends the Flatpak, since the AppImage does not work on all systems.
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.
Saber
- Highlighter that keeps its color
- The highlighter does not darken where a stroke crosses itself, and it is drawn underneath the ink, so the writing below stays clear.
- Dark mode that inverts notes
- Dark mode darkens the notes as well as the interface, giving light ink on a dark page. Images and PDFs are inverted too, so printouts and textbooks match.
- Nested folders
- Notes are organized in folders that can be nested without limit, and the most recent notes are listed on the home screen.
- Encrypted sync
- Notes are encrypted with a randomly generated key before upload, so the server owner cannot read them. The key stays in secure storage on the device.
- Choice of Nextcloud server
- Sync runs on Nextcloud: the official Saber server hosted in the Netherlands, another Nextcloud provider, or a server you host yourself.
- Apps on five platforms
- Saber is on Google Play and F-Droid for Android, the App Store for iPhone, iPad and Mac, Flathub or an AppImage for Linux, and has a Windows installer.
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.
Saber
Free$0
The full app, plus 5 GB of storage for every account on the official Saber Nextcloud server.
StandardAny amount
per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
10 GB of storage on the Saber server for a monthly sponsorship of any size. Free for students who email proof of status.
Premium$5
or more per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
50 GB of storage on the Saber server.
Hoarder$7
or more per month, as a GitHub Sponsors sponsorship
100 GB of storage on the Saber server.
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.
Saber
- Education
Standard storage plan free for students
The pricing page gives students the 10 GB Standard plan free. They email the developer their Nextcloud username and proof of student status, such as a UNiDAYS ID.
