About

Goodnotes is a digital note-taking app that replaces paper notebooks with an interactive workspace built around natural handwriting. It addresses the problem of scattered, unsearchable handwritten notes by combining a pen-on-paper writing experience with handwriting recognition, so anything written by hand can be searched, converted to text, and organized alongside typed documents, sketches, and audio recordings.

The app was created in 2011 by Steven Chan and is developed by a London-based company; it was named Apple iPad App of the Year in 2022. Users write, type, sketch, or record audio in notebooks, text documents, and infinite-canvas whiteboards, then sync everything across devices via iCloud or Goodnotes Cloud. Goodnotes AI adds search across handwriting and sketches, summaries, and tools that turn notes into mind maps or meeting minutes into action items. Versions are available for individuals, teams, enterprises, and schools.

Key Features

Natural handwriting: A writing experience designed for tablets, with palm rest support, scratch-out erasing, and handwriting-to-text conversion.

PDF annotation: Import, mark up, and highlight any PDF by hand, then search annotations and export the result.

Goodnotes AI: AI-powered search across typed text, handwriting, and sketches, plus summaries, spellcheck, mind-map generation, and conversion of meeting notes into project plans.

Whiteboard: An infinite canvas for freeform planning, diagramming, and real-time visual collaboration.

Audio recordings: Record audio synced to what was written at each moment, with transcription support.

Real-time collaboration: Shared notebooks, documents, and whiteboards with live editing and sharing links.

Cross-device sync: Start on a tablet, continue on a phone, and finish on a computer, with offline access.

Pricing & Fees

Pricing: Free plan (3 notebooks, 100MB storage, limited sharing); Essential at $11.99/year; Pro at $35.99/year; Teams at $120 per seat/year; Enterprise at custom pricing. An AI Pass add-on costs $9.99/month on paid plans.
Free tier and trials: A permanent free plan is available, and paid individual plans include a 7-day free trial; Teams includes a 30-day trial.
Platforms: iPad, iPhone, Mac, Android, Windows, and the web.
Education: Goodnotes Education is free in all K-12 schools and includes an admin console and interactive lesson tools.
Security: SOC 2 Type II, SOC 3, ISO/IEC 27001 certified; GDPR and CCPA compliant; data encrypted at rest on AWS-managed servers.

Who It's For

Goodnotes is aimed at professionals and students who take notes on tablets. Typical users include students organizing lecture notes and study materials, engineers and architects marking up drawings in the field, legal professionals reviewing contracts, and consultants or marketing teams running meetings, brainstorms, and client demos. Shared workspaces and admin controls make it suitable for teams in industries such as AEC, legal, professional services, government/NGO, and education, while individual plans serve freelancers and anyone replacing paper notebooks.

FAQ

What is Goodnotes?Goodnotes is a note-taking app that combines natural handwriting on tablets with AI tools, PDF annotation, whiteboards, and cross-device sync, available on iOS, Mac, Android, Windows, and the web.

Is Goodnotes free?Yes, a permanent free plan includes 3 notebooks, up to 3 files with 5MB import size, 100MB storage, limited sharing, and 20 minutes of audio recording; paid plans start at $11.99 per year.

Which platforms does Goodnotes support?Goodnotes runs on iPad, iPhone, Mac, Android, Windows, and the web, with sync through iCloud and Goodnotes Cloud.

What does Goodnotes AI do?Goodnotes AI can search typed text, handwriting, and sketches, generate summaries and mind maps, check spelling in handwriting, and turn meeting minutes into a project plan.

How does Goodnotes handle privacy and security?The company holds SOC 2 Type II and ISO/IEC 27001 certifications, complies with GDPR and CCPA, and stores encrypted data on AWS-managed servers; enterprise admins can control AI permissions.

About

Key Features

Pricing & Fees

Who It's For

FAQ

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