Goodnotes
Handwritten notes, PDF markup and whiteboards with an AI assistant
What is Goodnotes?
Goodnotes is a handwriting-first note-taking app that started on iPad and now also runs on iPhone, Mac, Android, Windows and the web. Notebooks, whiteboards, typed text documents and annotated PDFs sit in one library, with audio recording and an AI assistant that reads handwriting as well as typed text. A free plan covers up to three files; paid plans are yearly subscriptions, with a one-time purchase option on Apple devices.
Goodnotes has a free plan. Paid plans start at $11.99 per year (Essential). See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Goodnotes pricing
- Starts at
- $11.99 per year (Essential)
- 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.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial on Essential and Pro; 30-day free trial on Teams.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 3 files, 100 MB of storage, 20 minutes of audio recording, limited sharing and limited Goodnotes AI usage. |
| Essential | $11.99per year | Unlimited files and audio recording, 5 GB of storage, exports without a watermark, basic Goodnotes AI and Google Calendar integration. |
| Pro | $35.99per year | Adds cross-platform library sync, private link sharing, hosting real-time collaboration, Drive integration and advanced AI including meeting notes. |
| Special Edition | $35.99one-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 | $120per seat / year | Everything in Pro, plus SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing and user and admin management. |
| Enterprise | Custom | For 25 seats and above: AI permissions, the Microsoft Intune App SDK, dedicated account support and custom contracts. |
Read from goodnotes.com on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Goodnotes before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- EducationGoodnotes 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.
Stated on goodnotes.com - Lifetime licenseSpecial 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.
Stated on goodnotes.com
What people say about Goodnotes
4.7
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
- 5 stars87%
- 4 stars7%
- 3 stars2%
- 2 stars1%
- 1 star4%
459,990 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 7, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Often praised
- Writing notes by hand on an iPad and still being able to search them is the combination reviewers and commenters keep naming. App Store reviews · Hacker News 1, 2
- Importing PDFs and writing straight onto them with the Pencil is a use that reviewers and commenters describe again and again. App Store reviews · Hacker News 1, 2
Often criticised
- A reviewer and two commenters are uneasy about how far their notes depend on the app, from files that cannot be edited elsewhere to fear of losing notes kept in an older version. App Store reviews · Hacker News 1, 2
- Typed text is the weak spot for several otherwise happy reviewers, who describe the text tool as clunky, limited in formatting or prone to glitches. App Store reviews
Based on 10 App Store reviews, all four or five stars and seven of them more than three years old, and about 14 Hacker News comments from October 2024 to August 2026, read Oct 7, 2026. These are themes summarised in our words, not our own verdict. Follow the links to read what was said.
Works with
Goodnotes alternatives
- Goodnotes vs Notability
Free plan · from $14.99/yr
- Goodnotes vs Noteshelf
Free plan · from $7.99 one-time
- Goodnotes vs CollaNote
Free plan · from $13.90 one-time
- Goodnotes vs Microsoft OneNote
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Common questions
Is Goodnotes free?
Goodnotes has a 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. Paid plans start at $11.99 per year (Essential).
How much does Goodnotes cost?
Goodnotes lists 6 plans. Free: $0. Essential: $11.99 per year. Pro: $35.99 per year. Special Edition: $35.99 one-time purchase, Apple devices only (US App Store). Teams: $120 per seat / year. Enterprise: custom pricing. Prices were read from goodnotes.com on Oct 5, 2026.
What platforms does Goodnotes work on?
Goodnotes is available on iOS, macOS, Android, Windows and Web.
Does Goodnotes offer any discounts?
Goodnotes publicly lists the following: Goodnotes Education is free for K-12 schools; Special Edition one-time purchase on Apple devices.
How is Goodnotes rated?
Goodnotes's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 459,990 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 7, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Is Goodnotes any good?
We have not tested Goodnotes, so this is what reviewers say. Often praised: Writing notes by hand on an iPad and still being able to search them is the combination reviewers and commenters keep naming. Often criticised: A reviewer and two commenters are uneasy about how far their notes depend on the app, from files that cannot be edited elsewhere to fear of losing notes kept in an older version. The reviews page has every theme with its sources.
Does Goodnotes have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Goodnotes is listed for iOS, macOS, Android, Windows and Web.
Is Goodnotes open source?
Goodnotes is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Does Goodnotes work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
What does Goodnotes integrate with?
Goodnotes's listing names iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar and Microsoft Intune. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Goodnotes have a student discount?
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.
Does Goodnotes have a free trial?
Yes. 7-day free trial on Essential and Pro; 30-day free trial on Teams.
Who makes Goodnotes?
Goodnotes is made by Goodnotes Limited. It dates from 2011.
What are the alternatives to Goodnotes?
The closest alternatives to Goodnotes in our directory are Notability, Noteshelf, CollaNote, Microsoft OneNote and Apple Notes. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Goodnotes.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.