Verdict
Goodnotes turns an iPad or Android tablet into a paper notebook, and its AI can read messy handwriting, answer questions about it and make practice quizzes. The basic paid plan is cheap at £11.99 a year, but the full AI needs a £9.99 monthly AI Pass on top. A November 2025 user thread asking whether anyone wanted the AI features drew hundreds of upvotes for no.
Best for
Students and note-takers who write by hand on an iPad
Skip if
Anyone without a tablet and stylus, or wanting AI without an add-on
Key facts
- Made by
- Goodnotes Limited
- Based in
- United Kingdom (offices in London, Hong Kong and Singapore; founded in Hong Kong; no formal HQ statement found on the official site)
- Launched
- 2011
- Works on
- iPhone, Android, Web, Windows, Mac
- In the UK
- Yes
- Price from
- £1.0 a month
- Free plan
- Free forever with 3 notebooks, 100MB storage, 20 minutes of audio recording and up to 5 AI questions or quizzes a month
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Billed |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | £11.99 | year |
| Pro | £35.99 | year |
| AI Pass (add-on) | £9.99 | month |
| Teams (per seat) | $120 | year |
What it does
- takes handwritten and typed notes
- marks up PDFs by hand
- records and transcribes audio
- summarises and searches notes with AI
- offers an infinite whiteboard canvas
- shares notebooks for real-time collaboration
Ratings
What people say
Long-time users like the handwriting feel, but user is openly hostile to the AI push, with the top comments calling it useless and an upsell. Some 2026 posts report notes going blank and slow support. The 4.65 App Store score contrasts with 3.43 on Google Play, where the Android version is newer.
“Nope. Let's just hope the bubble pops soon and we can get all our apps back”
Individual user review, 25 November 2025 · source
“I think the aim of their AI is making us pay for an app we have already paid. It's absolutely useless”
Individual user review, 25 November 2025 · source
“I'm sure there are people who genuinely love the AI features and want more of them. I'm just not one of them.”
Individual user review, 25 November 2025 · source
“I have had an issue of notes going blank before exams which is frustrating.”
Individual user review, 6 June 2026 · source
“I used Goodnotes for about 2 years straight during my previous studies, so I'm very familiar with it and generally liked the workflow.”
Individual user review, 2 October 2026 · source
Press reviews
- MakeUseOf 2025-09-27
The reviewer's favourite note app for years; the new whiteboards, text documents and maths AI impressed, and the subscription is 'a bit expensive' but worth it.
- Setapp 2026-02-17
Best for visual thinkers and people who need Windows or Android; study tools are less developed than Notability's and the AI needs a separate paid add-on.
- TechRadar 2024-10-07
News piece: the Ask Goodnotes assistant can read even poor handwriting well enough to summarise and quiz on it.
Privacy
- Trains on your data
- No. Goodnotes says it does not collect notebook data for AI training unless the user opts in or submits feedback
- Opt-out
- Not needed; training and conversation sharing are opt-in
- Retention
- Notes stay on the device or the user's chosen backup; AI conversation logs kept only if shared, for up to 30 days; Goodnotes Cloud data deleted after two years of inactivity
- Age limit
- 16+ to create an account; parents can create accounts for younger children. No age check.
Official videos
- Meet the new Goodnotes: Introducing Whiteboards, Text Documents, Goodnotes AI & much more 2025-09-23
FAQ
Is Goodnotes free?
Yes, with limits. The free plan allows 3 notebooks and 100MB of storage. Essential costs £11.99 a year on the UK App Store.
Do I have to pay for Goodnotes AI?
A few AI questions a month are free. The full AI tools need Pro or the AI Pass, which is £9.99 a month on the UK App Store.
Does Goodnotes use my notes to train AI?
Goodnotes says it does not collect notebook data for training unless a user opts in or sends feedback, and spellcheck runs on the device.
Is Goodnotes on Android?
Yes, for Android tablets and Chromebooks, and on Windows and the web. The Android app is rated 3.43 on Google Play against 4.65 on the App Store.
Goodnotes or Notability?
Setapp found Goodnotes better for whiteboards and use across Windows and Android, and Notability better for study tools and lecture audio.
Scores are based on published evidence, not lab tests. How we score.
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