Goodnotes app icon

Goodnotes

Handwritten notes, PDFs and planners on iPad and Mac

MaciPhoneiPad4.7467K ratingsFree to start

The verdict

A recorded lecture or meeting becomes a transcript and summary right beside your handwritten notes in Goodnotes. The core is still writing with Apple Pencil in paper-style notebooks, marking up PDFs and filling in planners on iPad, iPhone and Mac. The free plan stops at 3 notebooks, so plan on Essential at $11.99 a year, or look at Notability if you would rather pay $49.99 once for its Classic version.

The Useful TechResearched and written with AI under our rulesUpdated 14 Oct 2026

Get it if

You write with an Apple Pencil in class or meetings, or mark up piles of PDFs and slides.

Skip it if

You type everything, and Apple Notes is free and handles the odd handwritten page.

Screenshots 4

What it helps you do

  • Write notes by hand that you can search
  • Mark up lecture slides and PDFs
  • Record a class and get a summary
  • Fill in a digital planner with your Pencil

Plans and prices

  • Free

    3 notebooks, up to 3 imported files, 100 MB storage and 20 minutes of audio recording

  • Essential

    $11.99

    $11.99 a year, unlimited notebooks and files, 5 GB storage, unlimited audio recording and basic AI, with a 7-day free trial

  • Pro

    $35.99

    $35.99 a year, adds real-time collaboration, Drive integration, private link sharing and more AI, with a 7-day free trial

  • AI Pass

    $9.99

    $9.99 a month on top of Essential or Pro for the full AI features

  • Teams

    $120

    $120 per seat a year, with a 30-day free trial

What changed

  1. Version 7.1.34

    · Goodnotes is now optimized for iPhone Duo, featuring a new two-level toolbar, reading mode, and layouts that adapt to folded, semi-folded, and unfolded displays. · Fixed a crash that could occur after converting pages to a whiteboard from the thumbnails sidebar. · Fixed a crash that could occur while drawing lines and shapes. · Fixed a crash that could occur when opening documents with a Goodnotes Education…

  2. Added to The Useful Apps

Pick something else if

All 8 Goodnotes alternatives

The details

Runs on
Mac, iPhone, iPad
Requires
macOS 18.6 or later
Version
7.1.34
Size
816 MB
Made by
Goodnotes Limited
Rating
4.7 from 467K ratings on the App Store
Free trial
Try the paid version first
iCloud sync
Syncs across your devices
Family Sharing
1 purchase for the family

Spot a wrong price or fact?