# Page 2 | Goodnotes Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Page 2 - Is Goodnotes the right Note-Taking solution for you? Explore 75 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/233930/GoodNotes/reviews

---

Goodnotes

4.5 (75)

[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 March 13th, 2026

# Page 2 - Reviews of Goodnotes

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 26-50 of 75 Reviews

Sort by:

Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

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

JM

Janis M.  
Studentische Hilfskraft  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Goodnotes, das digitale Notizheft"

September 24, 2025

4.0

Ich benutze Goodnotes um Notizen während Meetings oder von Recherchen anzufertigen. Dabei schreibe ich sowohl auf der Tastatur, als auch mit einem Stift. Die Notizen extrahiere ich dann und teile sie mit meinem Team. Dabei müssen wir oft Notizen hinzufügen oder umändern.

Pros

Besonders gefällt mir, wie einfach es ist Dokumente zu scannen und diese in die gewünschte Stelle einzubringen. Es ist auch sehr einfach, diese dann wieder zu teilen und extrahieren.

Cons

Mir fällt es teilweise schwer, richtige Kapitel anzuordnen und vor allem Notizen im Nachhinein hinzuzufügen, das der Schreibplatz auf das A4 Blatt beschränkt ist.

Review Source

JR

Joelle R.  
Sales and Customer Service  
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Great for avid writers and journalers"

March 11, 2025

4.0

Overall I am pleased with Goodnotes. It is very simple, which is nice. But with it's simplicity, it does make one question the value/cost.

Pros

I loved accessing goodnotes from my Ipad, and using my apple pen to take note and journal, etc.

Cons

The cost was higher than I would like to pay monthly. I pay similar fees for certain streaming services, which offer more than this app.

Review Source

MS

Mikaela S.  
Assistant Manager  
Consumer Goods  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Goodnotes is the best!! "

April 18, 2025

5.0

I love love love Goodnotes!! It is perfect for note writing and digital planning!!

Pros

I LOVE using Goodnotes!! I use it daily for note writing and planning! It has amazing features!!

Cons

I wish Goodnotes had better free options for planner downloads, but other than that I’ve had no issues actually using Goodnotes!

Review Source

TK

Tarik K.  
Social Media Marketing  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "With Goodnotes you can replace your physical notebook with an ipad "

March 17, 2025

4.0

Pros

Good software to take notes in the class. Due to this app you can replace a physical notebook to iPad.

Cons

If you don´t have the paid program, than you can have only limited notebooks.

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

JC

Jessica C.  
Secretary  
Non-Profit Organization Management  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Notes for the left brained people! "

May 12, 2025

5.0

Overall its great! I love that I can share the project with friends if need be and they can add their input too.

Pros

the customizable options! Love that I can choose my back ground or font and make it personable

Cons

northing! everything is easy to use and exactly how my creative brain needs to take and share notes

Review Source

IS

Ian S.  
Mechanical Engineer  
Construction  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Goodnotes ROCKS!"

August 30, 2024

5.0

Extremely positive. I believe it helped me get better grades in college.

Pros

Goodnotes is the best note taking software on iPad. It was so helpful for note taking in college. The best part is you buy the app one time and only need to upgrade every couple years - NO SUBSCRIPTION.

Cons

I have no complaints with goodnotes. It is fantastic in all ways.

Switched from

[Notability](https://www.capterra.com/p/229356/Notability/)

Better interface, notability was moving to a subscription model which I did not like

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

AB

Angelica B.  
University Intern  
Pharmaceuticals  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "Transforming Note-Taking for the Digital Era: GoodNotes in Focus"

June 16, 2023

5.0

I used GoodNotes frequently for note-taking and data organizing throughout my internship in the University's Department of Pharmaceutical Research and Development. The program was essential for preserving handwritten notes made during experiments and lectures and provided a seamless transition from paper notebooks to digital ones. I could easily annotate, highlight, and sketch using the GoodNotes' user-friendly interface, which allowed me to make detailed and well-organized notes. My notes were easily accessible on both my iPad and my iPhone thanks to the synchronization feature, making it simple to refer back to and review them. Overall, as an intern, using GoodNotes greatly improved my note-taking process by fostering effectiveness, organization, and seamless connection with my digital workflow.

Pros

There are numerous benefits to taking notes digitally with GoodNotes. First off, creating, organizing, and annotating notes is simple thanks to its user-friendly design and intuitive layout. Users may naturally capture ideas because the software allows a variety of input techniques, including handwriting, typing, and sketching. Additionally, GoodNotes has a robust search feature that makes it simple for users to locate particular notes or phrases. Notes remain current and available across a variety of platforms thanks to their strong cross-device synchronization features. In order to increase efficiency and cooperation, the software offers PDF annotation, document scanning, and seamless interaction with cloud storage services. Overall, GoodNotes offers customers a complete and effective solution for collecting digital notes, enabling them to plan and streamline their workflows.

Cons

Even though GoodNotes provides several advantages, it's important to take into account some restrictions. First off, only iOS devices can presently access the program, which makes it inaccessible to users of other platforms. Additionally, GoodNotes is unable to automatically translate handwriting into text, which may result in additional human work being required for note transcription. The initial setup procedure and learning curve could be a little difficult for some people. Despite the software's extensive functionality, other cloud-based note-taking platforms may have more advanced collaborative features than it does. Despite these factors, GoodNotes continues to be a dependable and feature-rich choice for people looking for an all-encompassing digital note-taking solution.

Switched from

[Microsoft OneNote](https://www.capterra.com/p/227211/Microsoft-OneNote/)[Evernote Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/154969/Evernote-Business/)[Notability](https://www.capterra.com/p/229356/Notability/)

Due to its emphasis on handwriting and drawing capabilities, strong organizing tools, and seamless interaction with cloud storage providers, GoodNotes stands out as the top option for digital note-taking. In comparison to text-centric rivals, the software's natural input techniques and intuitive design offer a better note-taking experience. The cross-platform synchronization of GoodNotes makes sure that notes are always current and accessible. GoodNotes excels in satisfying the needs of people who like handwriting and drawing in their digital note-taking workflow thanks to its rich feature set and user-friendly approach.

Review Source

GR

Guadalupe R.  
Graduate Student  
Research  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "GoodNotes, a great and simple notebook"

February 24, 2022

4.0

I'm quite happy with it. Fulfills its function, with the plus of sharing and having all your information on all your devices in an easy and pretty way

Pros

It is easy to understand and use, it keeps evolving and adding more tools. I have changed the way I've been taking notes with this app. It's pretty useful to keep everything organized and pretty.

Cons

When adding too many images it gets slow. After 1 hour of use, the pen sensibility gets low. Some commands (like adding a photo) requires too many steps so it gets tiring and boring

Review Source

TP

Tania P.  
Student  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "A great tool for short-memory students"

May 17, 2022

5.0

I'm currently working with social behavior in rats and programming tools for their analysis. GoodNotes has helped me to write my observations in the experiments while watching rat behavior, and drawing this process to express them in an mathematical algorithm

Pros

GoodNotes it's a great tool in classes, as you can write your thinks without get distracted as you do in traditional handwriting. You can modify the notes and the handwriting helps you to create aesthetic notes

Cons

I don't like that it's a software just for Apple devices

Review Source

Leonor R.  
Veterinarian  
Medical Practice  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "App that I use to study and keep up with college"

December 1, 2022

5.0

Overall, I love this app. I use it every day and it has helped me a lot to get a rhythm to my work.

Pros

For me, the best thing about this application is in fact that we can make annotations on existing files. I use it a lot for my studies and to keep track of all my classes at university. Apart from this, I also use this application since I am saving on paper. Lastly, I find it very intuitive and easy to use.

Cons

What I liked least, is the fact that it can only be used on IOS, not to mention that when I want to search for a word in a document, I have trouble knowing which word was underlined

Review Source

AF

Aimen F.  
Student  
Primary/Secondary Education  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "GoodNotes- Your gateway to digital studying "

February 19, 2023

5.0

As my daily driver at school, GoodNotes does its job well. Overall there are no big issues and the app makes digital learning a piece of cake. For approximately 10$ you’ll get iCloud synced notebooks, different templates, import/export of data, handwriting recognition, cooperative working and more. Not being tied to subscriptions, like Notability, convinced me to using GoodNotes

Pros

GoodNotes has rich features and eases note-taking capabilities. Freely moving text and handwritten notes, converting handwriting into text, perfecting shapes when drawing etc. Another great point is the multi device support, which lets me as a student revise notes on the go. Lastly, being able to import and export images, pdfs, etc. eases my workflow and makes cooperating in class much much easier and all of that at a fair price.

Cons

I noticed some bugs that sometimes creep in. 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. I dislike the handwriting recognition, well of course if someone has really bad handwriting, recognition becomes hard, yet at least with a moderate handwriting , recognition should work flawlessly especially when searching.

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

Nuno P.  
Animator  
Animation  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "The best Note Taking app out there."

November 28, 2022

5.0

Overall it's the best note taking out there by far. The drawing experience itself says it all and the big amount of gestures makes the workflow fast and efficient.

Pros

The quality of the drawing and writing it's incredible, the best there is. Good Notes doesn't have an infinite amount of tools, but the ones that it have, work flawlessly.

Cons

The main cons it's the simple fact that there's no GoodNotes on Windows or Android. It's also not possible to link notes between pages which can get a little disorganized in big files. It's also not possible to send images/text to back/front.

Switched from

[Google Docs](https://www.capterra.com/p/160756/Google-Docs/)

I preferred to take handwritten notes.

Review Source

César C.  
Computer engineer  
Computer Hardware  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "An allied tool for students"

May 26, 2022

4.0

GoodNotes is excellent, it is an essential tool if you are a student and want to optimize your money and time. The interface is great, the personalization in notes is excellent, the price is right, and the handwriting is exquisite. Overall GoodNotes is a 10/10 product, highly recommended.

Pros

GoodNotes is excellent at what it does, it is a platform for writing notes and documents, but it also has many other features that make the GoodNotes experience even better, such as the ability to easily export from PDF, handwriting with the light pen, the subdivision of banks of notes as if they were notebooks, a large number of pencils and colors that there are, the variety of types and sizes of sheets. In addition, in terms of quality-price, it seems great to me, since, for just a single payment, you can access all the premium features. As a student, I highly recommend it because it is a new way of annotating and summarizing, without having to have many physical notebooks that take up space and cost money.

Cons

I don't like that it's only exclusively for Apple products, that's my only complaint.

Alternatives considered

[Notability](https://www.capterra.com/p/229356/Notability/)

Review Source

MV

Michael V.  
Software Developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "My digital notebook"

February 3, 2023

4.0

It’s a pretty good tool to write down notes and find them again 😊 For me it’s currently the best solution on the market compared to the competitors.

Pros

I use GoodNotes mainly for writing down notes on my iPad with the Apple Pencil, which works like a charm. The handwritten texts are indexed and can be searched through. Handwriting can also be converted into text.

Cons

Sometimes it’s not really comfortable to get back to the main overview of quicknotes and documents, as long as there is a unsaved document opened. If other documents are at the same time open in other tabs you can switch between but if I want to open something I’m forced to save the previous document.

Switched from

[Notability](https://www.capterra.com/p/229356/Notability/)

GoodNotes feels a bit better and offered a better document structure.

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

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Editor  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Must have per studenti e gestori di documenti"

July 7, 2023

4.0

La mia app di riferimento per la gestione di documenti scolastici e non, must have assoluto sull’iPad

Pros

Di recente hanno aggiunto anche la possibilità di registrare l’audio che sincronizza la modifica della pagina, permettendo così di non perdere neanche la minima informazione. Oltre alla stabilità dell’applicazione apprezzo particolarmente la sua interfaccia comoda e intuitiva, oltre alla solida collaborazione con altri dispositivi.

Cons

trovo che i prezzi dello shop siano inutilmente alti, personalmente non acquisterò mai nulla

Review Source

LS

Laura S.  
Managing Partner  
Law Practice  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "It's A No-Brainer"

December 5, 2023

5.0

I use GoodNotes on a 12" iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil. It's just as comfortable as a physical notepad but so much more versatile and easier to keep everything organized.

Pros

GoodNotes is the best. I use it for literally everything -- meetings, phone calls, signing documents, and even brainstorming. It's so convenient to have all of the handwritten information for a client file in one place, rather than trying to chase around stray pages of notes all the time and inevitably losing half of them.

Cons

There aren't a ton of bells and whistles. On the one hand maybe it would be nice to have the option to add some stuff, but to be honest you really don't need them and in some ways I think that would actually take away from this program.

Alternatives considered

[Evernote Teams](https://www.capterra.com/p/154969/Evernote-Business/)

Review Source

Zoha S.  
Student  
Writing and Editing  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Amazing note taking app"

June 30, 2023

5.0

Pros

Various features that allow you to maintain and take effective notes such as different colour highlighters available

Cons

I do not dislike anything about GoodNotes at all

Review Source

Paulína S.  
PhD student  
Biotechnology  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "My go-to app for taking notes easily"

May 11, 2023

5.0

I purchased GoodNotes with a one-time payment at a reasonable price, which is absolutely adequate considering how much this app has simplified my life in many ways. I can genuinely recommend it. In combination with the iPad and Apple Pencil, it is the only "notebook" I need.

Pros

I mainly use GoodNotes for reading scientific articles or for learning in any field. It greatly facilitates taking notes, which I have at hand anytime, anywhere, on various devices at one place and very organised. In addition to being able to write by hand in texts or presentations, it is also possible to search within them. I also heavily utilize the document scanning feature, which allows me to save important passages from books or process important official documents that I need to send someone.

Cons

Honestly I can´t see any cons. I am a huge GoodNotes fan.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Director  
Government Relations  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "It's great to be able to take notes on pdf files"

January 14, 2023

5.0

Being able to take notes on the pdf document during meetings and lectures is the biggest benefit for me. This feature is not available in Zoom and Adobe Connect. however, I recommend the implementation team to reconsider the pricing policy for developing countries and students.

Pros

Being able to take notes on pdf files is awesome, you can get this app just for using this feature. fast-stable running application. Having local language support increases the usability of the application. The design is simple, does not tire the eyes.

Cons

I did not find any feature that I did not like in the application. however, it does not feel as corporate as evernote application. I have the feeling that one day I will receive news that the application has stopped support and that the files that it has been attacked are stolen.

Review Source

Similar Products

Featured