Goodnotes

Goodnotes is a cross-platform note-taking app that brings notebooks, text documents and whiteboards together. It suits people who need offline access and sharing across devices, while teams can add collaboration and administrative controls. The free plan is tightly capped, so regular use calls for a paid plan.

Overview

Goodnotes supports offline access, note sharing and real-time collaboration across web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. That combination works well for people who move between devices or need to share notes, but its plans differ substantially in storage, file limits and team controls.

Key features

Several note formats: Notebooks, text documents and whiteboards give individuals room to organize work in different ways. Free caps each at three, making it a trial space rather than a generous home for an expanding archive.

Offline access and sharing: Working offline is useful when a connection is unreliable, and note sharing supports passing work to others. Real-time collaboration is available; Teams makes that capability more practical for organizations with its management tools.

Integrations: Goodnotes connects with Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook and Apple Calendar. This is a useful range for people already using those services, though the integrations alone are not a reason to choose it over another note app.

Pricing

Free costs nothing and is free forever. It allows 3 notebooks, 3 text documents, 3 whiteboards and 3 folders, with 100 MB storage and a 5 MB import file size. Those caps let a new user try the formats, but the small storage allowance and import ceiling are likely to constrain ongoing use.

Essential costs $11.99 a year, billed yearly, and includes a 7-day free trial. It raises storage to 5 GB and provides unlimited files, making it the clearest fit for an individual who has outgrown Free. Storage is still finite.

Pro costs $35.99 a year, billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial and unlimited files. It may suit individuals who need the higher plan, but the stated benefits do not specify what distinguishes it from Essential beyond its price; Essential is the more grounded choice when 5 GB is enough.

AI Pass costs $9.99 a month as a monthly add-on and provides approximately 6,300 additional AI credits per month. Availability varies by region and eligible plan, so it is relevant only to users who qualify and want those extra credits.

Teams costs $120 a year, billed yearly. Real-time team collaboration, SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing, and user and admin management make it a better fit for organizations than individual plans. Enterprise has custom pricing and adds custom security and privacy controls, AI permissions, dedicated account support, Microsoft Intune App SDK and customizable solutions for organizations with those needs.

Special Edition is a one-time purchase on Apple devices, with unlimited Apple note-taking and limited Goodnotes AI. It may appeal to an Apple-only user who prefers a purchase rather than a yearly plan, but it is not the cross-platform option for someone relying on Windows, Android or web.

Platforms

Goodnotes runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. That breadth, paired with offline access, suits people who switch between mobile and desktop devices. Special Edition is limited to Apple devices, so it does not serve the same cross-platform need.

Who it's for

Choose Goodnotes if you want several note formats, offline use and sharing in one app, and especially if you need to work across its supported platforms. Free is best for a limited trial of the different formats; Essential suits individual users with regular needs, while Teams is aimed at organizations that need collaboration and administration. Look elsewhere if you need more than 5 GB on Essential or expect Free's file and import caps to accommodate a substantial archive.

Pros and cons

Pro: Offline access, note sharing and real-time collaboration support work that moves between locations and people.

Pro: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android support gives users flexibility across devices.

Pro: Teams includes SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing, and user and admin management, which are relevant to organizational use.

Con: Free allows only three of each listed workspace type, 100 MB storage and 5 MB imports, limiting its usefulness for a growing collection.

Con: Essential has a 5 GB storage limit, so unlimited files does not mean unlimited storage.

Con: AI Pass eligibility varies by region and plan, and Pro's stated benefits do not clarify its distinction from Essential.

Alternatives

For a broader set of note-taking options, browse Note-taking apps; for an AI-focused shortlist, see AI Note-Taking Apps.

Notability is another freemium option, with a free Starter plan that includes 5 free notes, editing tools, PDFs and docs, 20,000+ templates and 7-day version history. Pick it if those specific free-plan inclusions matter more than Goodnotes' stated format mix and offline access.

HyNote has a free tier with sessions up to 120 minutes, audio recording and transcription, and professional templates. Choose it if those session and audio features better fit your note-taking needs.

Heptabase offers Pro at $11.99 a month with 100 AI credits per month and Premium at $23.99 a month with 1,800 AI credits. Consider it if a monthly plan with stated AI-credit allowances suits you better than Goodnotes' yearly individual plans and optional AI Pass.

Notion has a free plan for personal projects and life, with pages and blocks, databases and basic collaboration. Choose it if that organization and collaboration focus is a better match than Goodnotes' notebooks, text documents and whiteboards.

Zoho Notebook has a free Essential plan with 500 MB cloud storage, 20 note versions, a 3 MB maximum notecard size and 10 MB file uploads. It may be preferable if those free storage and file allowances better suit your needs.

Kilonotes is another freemium option for Android and iOS users.

Saner.AI has a free plan with 30 AI messages per month, 100 notes, a 1 MB PDF limit per file and 100 MB storage. Consider it if those stated AI and note limits fit your use better.

SecondBrain offers a free plan for capturing, organizing and recalling a limited number of notes. It may suit users looking for that note-management focus.

Verdict

Goodnotes is a strong choice for individuals who want offline, shareable notes across mobile, desktop and web, with a clear upgrade to team administration when needed. The main reasons to choose it are its range of note formats and broad platform support; look elsewhere if the 5 GB Essential storage ceiling or Free's tight caps do not fit your workload.