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Head-to-head · Note-Taking Apps

Goodnotes vs Notability

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Goodnotes #4 in Note-Taking Apps 8.8/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Goodnotes
Notability #5 in Note-Taking Apps 8.7/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Notability

Goodnotes leads on 0 checks, Notability on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoodnotes · 8.8/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialboth

Goodnotes scores higher on our rubric for note-taking apps: 8.8 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #5.

Goodnotes is the better fit for handwritten notebooks and PDF annotation. Notability is the better fit for students using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings.

  • Goodnotes fits best

    Handwritten notebooks and PDF annotation

  • Notability fits best

    Students using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Goodnotes 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Notability 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.7
Ranking #4 in Note-Taking Apps #5 in Note-Taking Apps
Best for Handwritten notebooks and PDF annotation Students using handwriting, PDFs, and recordings
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $14.99/user/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial 7 days 30 days
Free trial length 7 days 30 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support Email, Community, Docs Tickets, Docs
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, SSO/SAML SOC 2, GDPR
Integrations 6 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Goodnotes 3/3 · Notability 3/3
Offline access ✓ ✓
Note sharing ✓ ✓
Real-time collaboration ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms web, windows, macos, ios, android web, windows, macos, ios, android
Storage limit 5 GB Not checked yet
Integrations Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Calendar iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, WebDAV
Our review
Pros
  • Handwriting, typed notes, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio in one app
  • Searchable handwriting plus AI transcription, summaries, and generation
  • Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android support
  • Combines typed notes, handwriting, PDFs, audio, and transcription
  • Searches handwritten notes and links audio to annotations
  • Supports collaboration and cloud storage across five platforms
Cons
  • Free plan limits users to three notebooks and 100 MB storage
  • Cross-platform Goodnotes Cloud sync starts with the Pro plan
  • Advanced AI requires Pro or the separate AI Pass add-on
  • Many advanced AI and audio features require a paid plan
  • Pro costs $79.99 per year, above the Plus tier
  • The broad feature set may exceed simple note-taking needs
Our verdict

Goodnotes is a digital note-taking application for students, professionals, and teams who want handwritten notebooks alongside typed documents, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio. It supports digital ink, PDF import and annotation, signing,…

Read the review →

Notability is a note-taking application for students, professionals, educators, and teams. It combines typed and handwritten note creation with PDF, document, and slide import and annotation. Notes can be organized into folders, shared by…

Read the review →
  1. GoodnotesNote-Taking Apps 8.8Free plan · 7-day trial
  2. NotabilityNote-Taking Apps 8.7Free plan · 30-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Goodnotes — where it wins

    • Handwriting, typed notes, whiteboards, PDFs, and audio in one app
    • Searchable handwriting plus AI transcription, summaries, and generation
    • Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android support

    Where it doesn't

    • Free plan limits users to three notebooks and 100 MB storage
    • Cross-platform Goodnotes Cloud sync starts with the Pro plan
    • Advanced AI requires Pro or the separate AI Pass add-on

  • Notability — where it wins

    • Combines typed notes, handwriting, PDFs, audio, and transcription
    • Searches handwritten notes and links audio to annotations
    • Supports collaboration and cloud storage across five platforms

    Where it doesn't

    • Many advanced AI and audio features require a paid plan
    • Pro costs $79.99 per year, above the Plus tier
    • The broad feature set may exceed simple note-taking needs
  • Goodnotes8.8/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

    A broad note-taking app for handwriting, PDFs, collaboration, and AI across five platforms.

    Visit GoodnotesFull verdict →
  • Notability8.7/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

    A flexible notes app for handwriting, PDFs, recordings, and AI study tools.

    Visit NotabilityFull verdict →

More comparisons

All Note-Taking apps comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update