Goodnotes

Goodnotes is a note-taking app for people who want notebooks, text documents and whiteboards across mobile, desktop and web. It is best suited to individuals who need offline access and sharing, and to teams that need live collaboration with administrative controls. Its free tier is a useful trial of the formats, but tight item and import caps make a paid plan the better fit for sustained use.

Overview

Goodnotes supports web, Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, with offline access, note sharing and real-time collaboration. That combination suits people who work across devices or need to share notes, while integrations with Google Calendar, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Outlook and Apple Calendar can fit it into workflows built around those services.

The choice is less compelling if you expect a generous free archive: Free limits both the number of items and storage, and restricts import file size. Essential removes file-count limits but still sets a storage ceiling; larger organizations may value the controls in Teams or Enterprise more than an individual plan.

Key features

• Several note formats: Notebooks, text documents and whiteboards let users keep different kinds of work in one app. Free allows only three of each, so it demonstrates the formats without leaving much room for a growing collection.
• Offline access and sharing: Offline use helps when a connection is unavailable, while note sharing supports passing work to others. Real-time collaboration is available, and Teams adds explicit team-management features.
• Broad integrations: Connections to calendar, storage and AI services may reduce friction for users already relying on the named tools. The fit is strongest when those services are part of the reader’s existing workflow.

Pricing

Free: free, free forever. It includes 3 notebooks, 3 text documents, 3 whiteboards, 3 folders, 100 MB storage and a 5 MB import file size. This is suitable for trying the app or keeping a small set of notes, not for maintaining a large library or importing larger files.

Essential: $11.99 a year, billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial. It provides 5 GB storage and unlimited files, making it the clearest personal upgrade for regular use. It removes the item-count caps but does not offer unlimited storage.

Pro: $35.99 a year, billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial. Choose it only if its broader paid tier fits your needs, rather than assuming it expands storage beyond Essential’s published 5 GB.

AI Pass: $9.99 a month as a monthly add-on, offering approximately 6,300 additional AI credits per month. Availability varies by region and eligible plan, so it is not a universal standalone option.

Teams: $120 a year, billed yearly. It adds real-time team collaboration, SAML SSO, domain control, consolidated billing, and user and admin management.

Enterprise: Custom pricing for custom security and privacy controls, AI permissions, dedicated account support, Microsoft Intune App SDK and customizable solutions. It is aimed at organizations needing tailored controls and support.

Special Edition: Price not listed. It is a one-time purchase on Apple devices, with unlimited Apple note-taking and limited Goodnotes AI. Its Apple-only scope makes it a poor match for readers who need the same purchase across other platforms.

Platforms

Goodnotes runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows. That breadth helps users move between phone, tablet, computer and browser; offline access adds flexibility when a connection is unavailable.

Who it's for

Goodnotes is a strong fit for individuals who want multiple note formats and cross-platform access, and who can work within Essential’s 5 GB storage limit. Teams is the more relevant choice for groups that need live collaboration alongside identity, domain and administration controls. Readers seeking a high-capacity free plan or a published, unlimited-storage personal tier should weigh the limits carefully.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Web, desktop and mobile support plus offline access suit work that moves between devices or locations.
• Pro: Essential lifts Free’s file-count restrictions and gives regular individual users 5 GB storage.
• Pro: Teams combines real-time collaboration with SAML SSO, domain control and centralized administration.
• Con: Free caps formats at three items each, storage at 100 MB and imports at 5 MB, limiting it as a long-term workspace.
• Con: Essential’s 5 GB may constrain users with a large archive, while Pro’s stated terms do not clarify a storage allowance.
• Con: AI Pass availability depends on region and eligible plan, limiting its usefulness as a universal add-on.

Alternatives

Choose Notability if its free tier’s five notes, editing tools, PDFs and documents, and 20,000+ templates better match a small but varied starter workspace; its free version history lasts 7 days. Capacities is worth considering if media uploads are the priority: its Basic plan includes 5 GB total, then 100 MB per month, and it also supports Linux. Craft offers a different free-plan balance, with 1,500 blocks, 1 GB storage, a 25 MB media upload limit and 7 days of version history.

Notion may suit readers organizing personal projects and life around pages, blocks, databases and basic collaboration. Supernotes is an option for readers drawn to a card-based note limit, with its Starter plan capped at 100 cards. Zoho Notebook may be a better fit for readers whose needs align with its free 500 MB cloud storage and 20 note versions. Audionotes is worth a look for voice-note use: its free plan includes unlimited one-minute voice notes, text notes, transcripts and summaries. Evernote offers a free plan with 50 notes, one notebook, 1 GB storage and 200 attachments for readers whose needs fit those caps. For broader discovery, browse note-taking apps or AI note-taking apps.

Verdict

Choose Goodnotes if you need cross-platform notes that work offline, share easily and can scale into team collaboration with administrative controls. Its main weakness is the gap between Free’s severe caps and Essential’s finite 5 GB, so readers with bigger storage needs or a preference for a more generous free workspace should look elsewhere.