Dec 10, 2020•By SurgeOrb Editorial Team

Goodnotes vs. Notability: The Ultimate Hot Take on Note-Taking Apps

Tired of boring textbooks? We pit Goodnotes and Notability, two of the hottest note-taking apps on the market, against each other to help you create engaging study notes. Discover which app is your best choice for dynamic learning.

There are many different note-taking apps on the market. This time, our editor has specifically chosen Goodnotes and Notability, two popular note-taking apps, for a comprehensive review. Tired of learning from dull textbooks? Using note-taking apps like Goodnotes and Notability to create your own notes is definitely your best choice.

Goodnotes, Notability Basic Information

Goodnotes, Notability Basic Information Comparison

In terms of price, Goodnotes is slightly more expensive than Notability, but a single purchase of Goodnotes works across all iPadOS, iOS, and macOS versions. In contrast, Notability's iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions are sold separately.

Both popular note-taking apps are:

One-time purchase
No Windows version
Currently no update fees

Round 1: Goodnotes, Notability Page Design Comparison

Goodnotes

Offers a variety of notebook covers and inner page designs, especially with the latest version, Goodnotes 5, which has added multiple style options.

Size: A7 – A3
Cover: Can choose both portrait and landscape orientations
Inner pages: In addition to traditional blank pages, grid pages, lined pages, there are also to-do list pages and planner pages, totaling 22 templates, satisfying a variety of use cases.

Notability

Notability also offers a variety of note page designs for different scenario needs: blank pages, lined pages with different spacing, and grid pages of different sizes. Each page can be paired with 15 different page background colors, allowing for 135 page combinations.

Size: A4
Cover: Only landscape orientation can be chosen
Inner pages: Only four designs: blank page, grid page, lined page, and dotted page. Once an inner page design is selected, all pages in the notebook will use the same design and cannot be changed.

| | Goodnotes | Notability | | Different page sizes | ✔ | ✘ | | Different page orientations | ✔ | ✘ | | Page colors | 3 + customizable page colors | 15 | | Number of paper templates | 22 | 4 | | Add custom paper templates to app library | ✔ | ✘ | | Multi-page selection | ✔ | ✘ | | Page rotation | ✔ | ✘ |

Goodnotes, Notability Page Design Comparison

Round 2: Goodnotes, Notability Brush Comparison

Notability and GoodNotes are both handwriting-focused note-taking apps. In these applications, a stylus is typically used for handwriting notes.

Goodnotes

Pen Tool: Allows selection of different thickness pen brushes. For pen colors, in addition to 3 default colors, you can custom add more, and it supports inputting color codes. By entering the corresponding color value in the color editing state, you can add this color to the palette.
Highlighter Tool: Similar to the pen tool, brush thickness is selectable, and colors can also be custom added.

GoodNotes has one extra brush compared to Notability and allows free adjustment of brush thickness, precise to the millimeter. However, note that only 3 brush thicknesses and colors can be saved to the toolbar at a time.

Notability

– Pen Tool: Offers 2 common nib types (pressure-sensitive and non-pressure-sensitive), with 12 sizes available for each nib. For colors, 32 commonly used colors are carefully selected, eliminating the need for users to edit and choose, allowing for quick setup.

Goodnotes, Notability Brush Comparison

Round 3: Goodnotes, Notability Feature Comparison

Import Multimedia Files

Both note-taking apps can add images, scan, and import documents. In Notability, you can also add audio recordings, GIFs, sticky notes, web links, and web clips. In iPadOS, both apps support scanning documents into notes and searching them.

Goodnotes

Handwriting Recognition: Just like paper notes, sometimes it's hard to quickly find something you've written down. But with this feature, you don't have to worry about losing anything. Goodnotes has excellent Chinese recognition. As long as the handwriting isn't too messy, simplified characters, or symbols, it can successfully recognize and allow you to search for it. After recognition, it can be converted into "text" for users to copy elsewhere. For example, if you have handwritten contact information to share with someone, you can select the content, tap convert, and then get the text to copy and send to others, which is very thoughtful.

Notability

Recording Button: This feature is a highlight of Notability, as it embeds a recording function within the note-taking app. Whether taking notes in class or writing meeting minutes with Notability, you can enable the recording function for anything you miss, ensuring no important points are left out when refining your notes later.

| | Goodnotes | Notability | | Images | ✔ | ✔ | | Scan | ✔ | ✔ | | Import PDF | ✔ | ✔ | | Audio Recording | ✘ | ✔ | | GIF | ✘ | ✔ | | Sticky Notes | ✘ | ✔ | | Web Links | ✘ | ✔ | | Videos | ✘ | ✘ |

Goodnotes, Notability Import Multimedia Files Feature Comparison

Scanning Documents

GoodNotes and Notability use the same iPadOS scanning tool, but Goodnotes can only save scans as PDFs. Documents can only be searched if they haven't been rotated.

When scanning documents, Notability allows you to insert them as images into your notes. The image size will be smaller, thus creating smaller documents. If you want to save space, you can also save the scan results as photos and search the scanned content at any time.

| | Goodnotes | Notability | | Save as PDF | ✔ | ✔ | | Save as Image | ✘ | ✔ | | Search Scans | ✔ | ✔ |

Goodnotes, Notability Scanning Feature Comparison

Photos

Both applications support PNG photos (photos without backgrounds). You can drag and drop images into the application or add them using the photo icon, and you can also crop images.

GoodNotes supports freehand cropping. Both apps can rotate and resize photos. GoodNotes can rotate and resize photos simultaneously, while Notability can only perform one operation at a time.

| | Goodnotes | Notability | | PNG | ✔ | ✔ | | Freehand Cropping | ✔ | ✘ | | Resize and Rotate | ✔ | ✔ | | Drag and Drop | ✔ | ✔ | | Add Captions | ✘ | ✔ | | Wrap Text Around Photos | ✘ | ✔ |

Goodnotes, Notability Photo Feature Comparison

Goodnotes, Notability Unique Features

Goodnotes

Handwriting Recognition: Just like paper notes, sometimes it's hard to quickly find something you've written down. But with this feature, you don't have to worry about losing anything. Goodnotes has excellent Chinese recognition. As long as the handwriting isn't too messy, simplified characters, or symbols, it can successfully recognize and allow you to search for it. After recognition, it can be converted into "text" for users to copy elsewhere. For example, if you have handwritten contact information to share with someone, you can select the content, tap convert, and then get the text to copy and send to others, which is very thoughtful.
Selection Gesture: Features a two-finger selection gesture for quickly selecting and deselecting multiple documents on the homepage.

Notability

Recording Function: This feature is a highlight of Notability, as it embeds a recording function within the note-taking app. Whether taking notes in class or writing meeting minutes with Notability, you can enable the recording function for anything you miss, ensuring no important points are left out when refining your notes later.
Lock Folder: You can lock folders. It supports Face ID/Touch ID, depending on the device you are using.

Round 4: Goodnotes, Notability Note Management Comparison

Export Options

GoodNotes exports PDF, images, and GoodNotes format. GoodNotes can also choose to export images as a zip file or individual images.

You can:

Select specific pages to export
Retain page backgrounds
Exclude annotations
Export hyperlinks
The feature to exclude annotations is very useful when you want to share the original document imported into the app. So you don't have to worry about deleting all annotations before exporting, which is super helpful.

Notability exports four formats: PDF, Notes, Images (JPEG or PNG), and RTF. PDF is the best way to share read-only notes from any note-taking app. This is what we will focus on. The margins around the PDF provide extra space for annotations, allowing more room for later notes. When you export images from the app, Notability does not compress the images.

You can:

Select specific pages to export
Keep the paper's background
Attach recordings
Password protect
Add margins
Preview PDF

Goodnotes, Notability Export Options Comparison

Automatic Backup

GoodNotes can only back up to Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive. You can decide which folders to back up by including/excluding specific words in the document name. GoodNotes uses the app's native format, making it the best method for backing up notes. GoodNotes also allows you to back up in two formats: GoodNotes and PDF. Having both is an advantage. Notability backs up to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and WebDAV.

| | Goodnotes | Notability | | Dropbox | ✔ | ✔ | | Google Drive | ✔ | ✔ | | OneDrive | ✔ | ✔ | | Box | ✘ | ✔ | | WebDAV | ✘ | ✔ | | PDF Format | ✔ | ✔ | | RTF Format | ✘ | ✔ |

Goodnotes, Notability Automatic Backup Feature Comparison

Summary

Goodnotes offers greater freedom in image editing and page design, making it particularly suitable for journaling. If you love to decorate your notes, Goodnotes might be a better fit for you. Notability's page design is more concise. If you are a beginner or someone who prefers not to spend time on page design, Notability might be more suitable. It's a more business-oriented note-taking app, and its recording feature is particularly noteworthy. You can use the recording function to capture detailed explanations or teacher's lectures, which is very convenient for learning.

Developing a note-taking habit with these apps not only aids learning but also allows you to upload your notes to Flowsophic, promoting them to secondary school students across Hong Kong.

【Further Reading】【Too many Windows models, don't know how to choose?】8 important considerations for students buying a Windows laptop

【Further Reading】【So many iPads, how to choose?】Essential guide for students buying an iPad

【Further Reading】【Struggling to concentrate while studying?】5 recommended mobile learning apps

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