Goodnotes vs Notes Writer

Goodnotes9.2Visit Notes Writer8.1Visit

Higher score Goodnotes #1 in Handwritten Notes Software 9.2/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Goodnotes

vs

Notes Writer #7 in Handwritten Notes Software 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Notes Writer

• Goodnotes fits best

  Cross-platform note takers and collaborative teams

• Notes Writer fits best

  Apple users organizing notes and annotated PDFs

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Side by side

Feature	Goodnotes 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Notes Writer 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.1
Ranking	#1 in Handwritten Notes Software	#7 in Handwritten Notes Software
Best for	Cross-platform note takers and collaborative teams	Apple users organizing notes and annotated PDFs
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	macOS, iOS
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Email, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Goodnotes 0/5 · Notes Writer 0/5
Handwriting to text	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
PDF annotation	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Audio recording	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Offline mode	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Shared note editing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Primary platform	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
OCR languages	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Mix handwritten and typed notes, annotate PDFs, and create whiteboards Sync audio recordings with writing and convert handwriting to text Use offline editing across web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android	Combines typed, handwritten, and sketched notes with PDF annotation Search, scanning, form signing, and document organization in one app Exports to PDF, ePub, HTML, TXT, Markdown, and other formats
Cons	Free plan is limited to three files and 100 MB of storage Real-time collaboration and some AI features require an internet connection Key collaboration and cloud-sync features require the Pro plan	Available on Apple platforms rather than across desktop and mobile ecosystems Real-time collaboration is not established as a core capability Optional AI features may not suit users seeking a strictly manual workflow
Our verdict	Goodnotes brings handwritten and typed notes together with PDF annotation, text documents, whiteboards, and audio recording. It suits students, professionals, educators, and teams who want a digital notebook that works across web, Windows,… Read the review →	Notes Writer brings typed, handwritten, and sketched notes together with document editing and PDF tools for people who organize notes alongside working documents. Its feature set suits students, teachers, writers, researchers, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Goodnotes — where it wins

  • Mix handwritten and typed notes, annotate PDFs, and create whiteboards
  • Sync audio recordings with writing and convert handwriting to text
  • Use offline editing across web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan is limited to three files and 100 MB of storage
  • Real-time collaboration and some AI features require an internet connection
  • Key collaboration and cloud-sync features require the Pro plan

• Notes Writer — where it wins

  • Combines typed, handwritten, and sketched notes with PDF annotation
  • Search, scanning, form signing, and document organization in one app
  • Exports to PDF, ePub, HTML, TXT, Markdown, and other formats

  Where it doesn't

  • Available on Apple platforms rather than across desktop and mobile ecosystems
  • Real-time collaboration is not established as a core capability
  • Optional AI features may not suit users seeking a strictly manual workflow

• Goodnotes9.2/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A flexible digital notebook with offline editing, collaboration, and AI features.

  Visit GoodnotesFull verdict →
• Notes Writer8.1/10 · Free plan

  A flexible Apple note app with handwriting, PDF annotation, scanning, and export tools.

  Visit Notes WriterFull verdict →