Goodnotes vs Noteshelf

Goodnotes9.2Visit Noteshelf8.6Visit

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

Noteshelf #4 in Handwritten Notes Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Noteshelf

• Goodnotes fits best

  Cross-platform note takers and collaborative teams

• Noteshelf fits best

  Buyers seeking a low-cost, multi-platform notebook

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 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Noteshelf 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Handwritten Notes Software	#4 in Handwritten Notes Software
Best for	Cross-platform note takers and collaborative teams	Buyers seeking a low-cost, multi-platform notebook
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	—	$9.99 one-time
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Email, Tickets
Integrations	6 integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Enterprise
Features Goodnotes 0/5 · Noteshelf 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	Works across iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows Combines handwriting, PDF markup, audio, and handwriting search Premium adds unlimited notebooks and 100 monthly AI credits
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	Free is limited to 3 notebooks Handwriting recognition and search are Premium features Sync and backup options vary by platform
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 →	Noteshelf is a digital notebook for students, educators, professionals, and journalers who want handwritten and typed notes alongside PDF and image markup. It also supports audio recording alongside notes, handwriting-to-text conversion,… 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

• Noteshelf — where it wins

  • Works across iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows
  • Combines handwriting, PDF markup, audio, and handwriting search
  • Premium adds unlimited notebooks and 100 monthly AI credits

  Where it doesn't

  • Free is limited to 3 notebooks
  • Handwriting recognition and search are Premium features
  • Sync and backup options vary by platform

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

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

  Visit GoodnotesFull verdict →
• Noteshelf8.6/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost notebook for handwriting, PDF annotation, and audio, with a free tier to start.

  Visit NoteshelfFull verdict →