--- title: "Goodnotes Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Goodnotes the right Note-Taking solution for you? Explore 77 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/233930/GoodNotes/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Goodnotes 4.5 (77) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/233930/GoodNotes/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated September 11th, 2026 # Reviews of Goodnotes Ease of use 4.5 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews GC Garnet C Appointment SetterMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “My favourite feature was the ability to use a stylus pen to fill out documents with handwritten signatures, and be able to export and email your documents easily. “ June 10, 2025 FM Freyxa M Onboarding and training supervisorMental Health Care, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “For android is not that efficient.“ June 2, 2025 Alyssa D TherapistMental Health Care, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Despite the general learning curve, GoodNotes has proven itself to be a useful and versatile tool for professionals who require some way to keep notes and documents digitally organized.“ October 27, 2025 AF Aimen F StudentPrimary/Secondary Education, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “For example the app crashing randomly or disabled buttons, I.e if you tap on a button nothing happens, so you’ll have to restart GoodNotes.“ February 19, 2023 GC Garnet C Appointment SetterMarketing and Advertising, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Ability to create digital notebooks, great for keeping your subjects separated and easy to access. “ June 10, 2025 ZD Zhenjiao D StudentE-Learning, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “as an ipad user, some times i feel it is a little bit hard to manage the files when there are many of them consider the tag function?“ April 5, 2023 LF Lauren F Student-ResearcherE-Learning, 5,001 - 10,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I feel it helps me organize what I need, especially between many devices.“ December 27, 2024 Nuno P AnimatorAnimation, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It's also not possible to link notes between pages which can get a little disorganized in big files.“ November 28, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 77 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Alyssa D. Therapist Mental Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Versatile Professional Tool " October 27, 2025 4.0 Despite the general learning curve, GoodNotes has proven itself to be a useful and versatile tool for professionals who require some way to keep notes and documents digitally organized. Pros I enjoyed the ease of use and implementation while taking client notes during sessions. The ability to create separate notebooks for different aspects was critical for organization. As a professional, GoodNotes exhibited great versatility during meetings as well. Cons Difficulty in transcribing from script to typed notes. Additionally, as a beginner, the learning curve for accessing different features was more challenging than expected. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Chiropractor Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great App for Handwritten Notes on iPad" January 20, 2026 5.0 Overall my experience with Goodnotes have been exceptional. I have been using it to document patient charts since I started working as a chiropractor in 2019. Pros Goodnotes allows you to write on any PDF document on an iPad. It is a great patient charting tool that allows you to take notes like traditional paper and pen without the bulk of physical papers. It allows me to customize any PDF documents of my choosing. I can also create templates that can be uploaded with ease. Cons Every now and then the app will crash on me. This is not that big of an issue since the documents or my work does not get lost. The app just needs to restart and I’m right back to where I was. There is some learning curve to using the app. Some of the functions take some time getting used to. Review Source AH Alexis H. Registered Nurse Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Goodnotes Review" August 24, 2026 5.0 My overall experience with Goodnotes has been satisfying. Notes are aesthetically pleasing while being easy to read and study. I enjoy being able to collaborate with others as well with them. Pros I really like the feature of being able to circle text and being able to move it across the screen. It is nice to be able to insert photos as well. Cons I having nothing negative to report about Goodnotes. It is a great tool for organized, neat notetaking. Review Source FM Freyxa M. Onboarding and training supervisor Mental Health Care Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "So-so experience" June 2, 2025 3.0 Is excellent for people who prefer handwritten notes and to plan on, however, each platform specific for Apple in black collaborative and centralized features needed in any professional environment. For android is not that efficient. Pros Excellent for stylus users, especially on tablets and it’s really useful for Mark now training contact or even for a students Cons No idea for sharing or collaborating on materials across ATM, is not built in with task tracking or content, distribution tools Review Source GC Garnet C. Appointment Setter Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Wonderful App for Documentation and Signing off Documents" June 10, 2025 5.0 Positive and a good solution to faxing, scanning documents or needing a pdf program to signing any documents that get digitally returned. I liked the ability to change colours on ink, and the customization of pen type for different spacings, Pros Ability to create digital notebooks, great for keeping your subjects separated and easy to access. My favourite feature was the ability to use a stylus pen to fill out documents with handwritten signatures, and be able to export and email your documents easily. Personally I used this program on a ipad 8th gen and it worked seamlessly. People in sales roles could find this application useful for digital note keeping. Cons I didnt find a whole lot wrong with Goodnotes, the only complaint being very minor, was manually attempting to blow up small print to get a signature on a contract line was a bit tough to do for inexperienced users, aside from that, not much wrong at all! Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Owner Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Goodnotes for your excellent workflow" July 24, 2025 5.0 Pros It is so easy to use on my iPhone and iPad, and the results are always excellent. A game changer for me. Cons My workflow is sometimes very slow. Goodnotes wants to help me with that but sometimes I feel a little bit pressure. But that is only me. Review Source MM Madison M. Speech Language Pathology Assistant Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Goodnotes is the Best!" March 19, 2025 5.0 Overall, I recommend Goodnotes to everyone who could benefit from a tool such as this software. I know there are other competitors but I feel Goodnotes is just the best for students and professionals, especially in my field. Pros Goodnotes is a convenient tool to use to keep documents in one place and annotate them. I use the software on my iPad as a student and it has been the most helpful tool in my undergraduate education. Cons I do wish it was possible to use the annotation feature without an Apple Pencil, but with the Apple Pencil the application is amazing. I love being able to edit pdfs on the software and organize all of my documents for personal/academic/professional use. Review Source KL Kat L. Student Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GOOD NOTES!" April 24, 2026 5.0 Pros Good notes is super easy to use, I love that you can make folders for different subjects as well as being able to organize and collaborate on notes if needed! Cons I wish there were more free options like how much you are able to write but other than that no complaints about Goodnotes Review Source KA Kayelee A. Project Coordinator Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great tool" April 1, 2025 5.0 Great. I'm grateful for its affordability and diverse capacities for work. Pros I LOVE the ease with which I am able to transfer anything I need onto Goodnotes to edit. I also like the organization style and the sustainability. Cons I don't like that I have to re-buy the software any time I get something new, especially if it was on a work ipad or something of the sort. Review Source KR Kim R. President Medical Practice Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A Game-Changer App!" May 29, 2025 5.0 A wonderful app! I use it frequently, especially in my personal life. I have folders for health, exercise routines, financial data, recipes, etc. Whenever I am sent something important and it's downloadable, it's going into Goodnotes. Pros It is a convenient place for downloading all sorts of files, and later organizing them into folders. Cons I don't like that I cannot get it on all my PC's and desktops. It would be more useful to me if it were not just on my mobile devices and iPads. Review Source CS Chiara S. Studente Chemicals Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "La perfetta applicazione per lo studente " February 23, 2023 5.0 Molto funzionale e utile lo consiglio, migliora la qualità degli appunti di conseguenza anche la qualità dello studio, risparmiando tempo, ottenendo risultati migliori con più facilità Pros Che ha molte funzioni si possono aggiungere e modificare tantissime cose rendendo morto ricchi, completi e funzionali appunti o schemi per uno studio produttivo, ottimizzando il tempo. È molto utile che puoi sempre modificare e aggiungere cose nuove risparmiando tempo. Cons Alcune funzionalità sono nascoste e non super intuitive per utilizzare le potenzialità del software al massimo bisogna smanettare un po’ per scoprire tutte le funzioni Switched from [Notability](https://www.capterra.com/p/229356/Notability/) Nel tempo andava pagato più volte e aveva meno funzioni Review Source CO Christian O. Studente Higher Education Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Ottima e piena di funzioni" November 25, 2022 4.0 Ottima, usato tutti i giorni come sostituto del quaderno Pros Il fatto che a un costo di 10€ si possano avere quaderni illimitati nel quale si può scrivere in modi diversi grazie alle tante funzioni, possibilità di fare linee dritte, figure geometriche, evidenziare... Cons Il fatto che a volte è più conveniente usare la carta per avere una maggiore precisione Review Source LC Louise C. Marketing digital Design Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Déçu de la nouvelle version 7.0" October 23, 2025 1.0 Depuis la version 7.0. Je n'arrive plus à utiliser l'application, je passe plus de temps à chercher comment et d'ou viennent les problèmes liés aux fonctionnalités de l'application. Je trouve ca très dommage car la version ancienne était vraiment meilleure. Et j'aimerais repasser à l'ancienne version mais je ne trouve aucun moyen.... Pros La version ancienne était beaucoup meilleure. Plus facile à utiliser aussi. Et donc plus d'avantages que la nouvelle version. Toutes les fonctionnalités étaient bien fait et logiques Cons Depuis la nouvelle version. Certe, des fonctionnalités se sont ajoutés mais il est aussi beaucoup plus compliqué à utiliser, surtout pour ceux qui veulent écrire au clavier. Par exemple, la mise en couleur du texte. Soit la couleur ne s'appliquer pas du tout sur le texte que j'ai sélectionné donc rien ne se passe, soit il s'applique au texte entier....et ce n'est pas le seul problème et inconvénients que je rencontre depuis la version 7.0. Review Source PP Purva P. Academic Tutor Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good notes is great for students" March 16, 2025 5.0 My experience with goodnotes has been great! I recently found out about the application online and have been using it as a university student. Pros Good notes is so simple to use! I use it every day for school and it is easy to upload lectures. Cons nothing! I have no concerns with the application. Review Source EM Eileen M. Dietitian Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Good product " January 19, 2025 4.0 Pros The product has lots of great features available Cons Difficult to learn the product with some rey Review Source YK Yumi K. Architect Architecture & Planning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My forever asisstant " August 20, 2022 5.0 I've been using Goodnotes for more than 5 years already. I started paperless note-taking when I was 2nd year college, and now I'm still using the app as a professional architect. Goodnotes is simple and easy but there are so many usages. I use this app to annotate architectural drawings, sketch and present in a client meeting. Never thought I would use this app this long. It's going to be my forever assistant in my career. Pros Goodnotes has all the basic yet necessary features for digital note-taking & annotating. Even though there are many features, the user interface is very simple and refined so it's very easy and comfortable to use on daily basis. I stopped the typical paper & pen note-taking and started my paperless note-taking journey with Goodnotes, so ease & comfort of an app is a big factor for me. And also, the app is so affordable for a permanent license. I won't get mad if you increase the price or charge the users again when there's a new verison. Cons One thing I was uncomfortable with is that the shape tool in Goodnotes doesn't have pre-made shapes. I thought it would automatically generate my desired shape and just let me position the shape on a page, but the reality is I still have to draw the shape manually and it will just "correct" or "refine" the shape. Also, I find the redo & undo reaction a bit delayed. There's always this time lag whenever I do the redo/undo gestures and it's becoming stressful especially when I have to use the app for a long time. I would like to see these fixed or improved. Review Source VA Vincenzo A. Graphic Graphic Design Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GoodNotes il software perfetto per universitari" October 21, 2023 5.0 Ottima, ha risolto il mio problema principale, quello cioè di avere appunti sparsi in vari quaderni. Ora ho tutto a disposizione e tutto con me. Pros Cercavo un app facile da usare, economica e fruibile, in GoodNotes ho trovato tutto ciò. La uso quotidianamente sia per prendere appunti e sia per studiare creando mappe e riassunti. Innanzitutto parto dal costo, è pochissimo e non è un'app con servizio ad abbonamento come altre presenti sullo store di apple. L'interfaccia è una delle più intuitive trovate, in essa posso raggruppare per categorie i miei appunti e archiviarli in comode cartelle rinominabili. Una volta creato un documento da zero hai a disposizione vari layout da usare (quello che uso di più essendo uno studente di ingegneria è quello classico a quadretti), varie tipologie di tratto nei colori che più trovi comodo, oltre all'evidenziatore comodo strumento per studiare da pdf importati nell'app. Altra funzione facile da usare e molto utile è la possibilità di campionare ciò che ti interessa e copiarlo/tagliarlo ed inserirlo nella pagina stessa, in un'altra o addirittura in un altro documento. Lo uso anche per studiare con amici, condividendo lo schermo e utilizzando l'app come una vera e propria lavagna dove poter risolvere problemi. Unica cosa che ovviamente necessiti è la apple pencil per poter scrivere, ma è indispensabile per chi utilizza un ipad. Puoi inoltre condividere i tuoi file creando pdf e spedendoli ai tuoi amici Cons Per il mio utilizzo non ho trovato difetti evidenti, forse l'unica pecca è che quest'app è disponibile solo nel mondo apple e non in quello android. Review Source CP Connie P. Psychologist Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Transforming note taking at work and study" November 8, 2022 4.0 It has been super handy. Wish it was around when I was studying. Don't foresee that I'll stop using it for a long time. Pros It's endless paper and located all on one App. No longer have to carry bundles of notebooks. Information is accessible at all times, either on mobile or iPad. Love that I can forward on to others in PDF. Has made my business paperless. There are different pen options to suit the user. The color coding scheme is very helpful. I've had no issues with it so far. Cons The convert to text feature is not that intuitive. In the cut and paste feature it would be good. If you could cut and paste more than just one page at a time. Review Source HL Herman L. Educator E-Learning Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "GoodNotes inspires note-taking excellence." December 3, 2022 5.0 Since I am an educator and frequently teach online I've found myself using GoodNotes more and more when teaching. It is ideal for integrating images with text, and its page customization options make it an excellent tool for visually grabbing a student's attention. On a side note, my personal journal and private projects in GoodNotes have never looked better. Pros GoodNotes provides stunning visual options allowing users to integrate text with media such as illustrations, photos, art, and video links. It is a fun app and program to use, and I find myself returning to it repeatedly. Cons Honestly, there is very little that can be improved. I found no weak points in the software and was hard-pressed to say anything overly critical of such a wonderful program. Review Source PA Pischanath A. Student Logistics and Supply Chain Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Useful Application" May 20, 2022 4.0 It is good, but it could be better. Pros The application is consistent. There is no unreasonable breakdown. In terms of writing and document management the impressive. Especially, the conversion from handwritten to text part. Cons The part that needs to improve is snap to shape. If you can make it more precise it will be very helpful. I am not talking about the conventional shapes or slightly complicated shapes such as oval, and eclipse. The tools are frequently useless when I try to draw a star or hexagon, pentagon and these kinds of shapes. Also, if you can include the layer function for drawing purposes. This might be helpful. Review Source JM Joseph M. Educator Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Revolutionary" August 23, 2022 5.0 This is my favorite new app of 2022. I suspect I will be a long time user of this! Pros This app has changed my life. I use it almost everyday exclusively for writing notes now, and it makes access them so much easier! Such amazing formatting options as well! Cons Only wish they would make more book cover options and make double tap on Apple Pencil undo writing instead of switching between tools. Review Source HT Helia T. Scientist Higher Education Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good for handwriting " May 10, 2022 4.0 Nice app! Pros It feels cool to use the Goodnotes app, especially if you have a good pen to unlock some incredible features to capture handwritten notes. Both the document creation and user interface are very well designed. Its easy to bookmark pages and refer back to it if you lose track of the writing. Cons It will be nice if this app works for non-iPhone users Review Source EM Elizabeth M. Customer Researcher Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great for an ADHD Brain" July 21, 2022 5.0 I've loved this app. I use it for my work to-do, my random lists, and my personal journal. Easy to change, travel with, and update Pros I just started using this app and I'm already hooked! I've been looking for a new way to organize my ever-changing brain and this is IT. I love that I can type, write, draw, and add images, and then copy and change EVERYTHING at ANYTIME! The lasso is incredible; I'm always changing how I want things to look or work, and it makes it so easy to stay flexible Cons There's a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using this product. A tutorial video/easy walk through would be appreciated (although I found lots of YouTubers) Review Source ZD Zhenjiao D. Student E-Learning Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "It is great app and nice developer team" April 5, 2023 5.0 Pros The existing functions are so far so nice. Meanwhile, the developer team does not stop further improvement. More interesting functions are added in. absolutely, I will continue using it for many many days. Cons as an ipad user, some times i feel it is a little bit hard to manage the files when there are many of them consider the tag function? like macOS Review Source JM Jo M. Behavior Therapist Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Supports my handwritten notes" October 2, 2022 5.0 Pros I love the write-in pop-up box at the bottom that lets me be more accurate when I'm handwriting notes on an iPad. The software works pretty smoothly and there's minimal friction, especially when I need to undo an edit. Cons WIsh there was more notebook space in the free version. 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