Goodnotes vs Notability: which is better for students?

Pick Goodnotes if you like page-based notebooks, write on a lot of lecture slides and want the cheaper plan: Essential is $11.99 a year. Pick Notability if you record lectures while you write and want one long scrolling note per class; Plus is $19.99 a year. Both now run on Windows and Android too. StudyPDF is not a note app; it turns the finished notebook into flashcards and quizzes.

Checked October 2026

Pick by what you need

GoodnotesPage-based notebooks, slide markup and planners on the iPad
NotabilityRecording lectures while you write, in one scrolling note per class

StudyPDFThat's us

Turning a finished notebook into flashcards, quizzes and exams

Who should pick which

Goodnotes

Pick Goodnotes if you want notebooks and folders, write on a lot of slides, or want the cheapest yearly plan.

Goodnotes is a handwriting app that works like a digital binder: notebooks with pages, folders, templates and planners. It searches your handwriting, and its AI can turn your notes into a quiz.

Strengths

The cheaper paid plan of the two, at $11.99 a year
Notebooks and folders suit big slide decks and planners
A one-time Special Edition on Apple devices if you avoid subscriptions

Limits

The free plan stops at 3 files
Library sync between Apple and non-Apple devices needs Pro
The full AI features cost extra through the AI Pass

Official site

Notability

Pick Notability if you record lectures and want the recording right next to your notes.

Notability is a handwriting and audio note app. You record the lecture while you take notes and replay it next to what you wrote. Paid plans add AI summaries, quizzes and flashcards.

Strengths

Lecture recording kept together with your handwritten notes
Continuous scrolling notes, no page breaks to manage
AI quizzes and flashcards from your notes on Plus and Pro

Limits

The free plan stops at 5 notes
Pro lifts the AI and transcription limits, but costs $99.99 a year

Official site

Side by side

	Goodnotes	Notability
Free tier	3 files, 20 min of audio, 100 MB, watermarked exports	Starter: 5 notes, all editing tools, document import
Price (October 2026)	Essential $11.99/yr, Pro $35.99/yr, AI Pass +$9.99/mo	Lite $14.99/yr, Plus $19.99/yr, Pro $99.99/yr
Platforms	iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android, web	iPad, iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android

Prices as of October 2026. Check the vendor's site for the current price.

StudyPDF

That's us

Turning a finished notebook into flashcards, quizzes and exams

Pick StudyPDF next to either app when exams come: upload the notebook and get flashcards, quizzes and practice exams from it.

You do not have to switch note apps. Export a notebook from Goodnotes or Notability and upload it to StudyPDF. It reads your handwriting, splits the lecture into topics and concepts, and builds flashcards, quizzes, practice exams and a study guide that cite the page. Your answers show which concepts are still weak. The free plan needs an account, no credit card.

Strengths

Reads scanned and handwritten pages
Tracks mastery per concept across all your lectures
Exports flashcards to Anki (.apkg) on Pro and up

Limits

No pen, no handwriting canvas, no audio recording
Weekly caps on every plan

Free tier: About 4 materials a week, 2 courses, no credit card
Price: Pro and Ultra add a bigger weekly pool
Platforms: Web, iPhone, iPad, Android

Get started free

More on this

Both are handwriting apps built around the iPad and Apple Pencil, and both import slides and documents so you can write on them. The difference is the shape of a note. Goodnotes works like a binder: notebooks with pages, folders, templates and planners. Notability works like a roll of paper: one note per lecture that scrolls down, with the audio recording kept next to what you wrote.

Prices as of October 2026: Goodnotes is free for 3 files and 20 minutes of audio. Essential costs $11.99 a year and Pro $35.99 a year, which adds library sync between Apple and non-Apple devices and advanced AI; an AI Pass adds $9.99 a month. Notability's free Starter plan allows 5 notes, Lite costs $14.99 a year, Plus $19.99 and Pro $99.99, and on October 14, 2026 its site showed 20% off all plans. Plus adds limited AI quizzes, flashcards and transcription; Pro removes the limits.

For med school and other courses with heavy slide decks, Goodnotes' folders and handwriting search across the library help you find things weeks later. If you rely on replaying the lecture, Notability's recording is the reason to pick it. Either way, notes are only half the work: you still have to test yourself on them.

More comparisons

Questions and answers

Is Goodnotes or Notability better for med school?

Many med students pick Goodnotes for its folders, slide markup and handwriting search across a big library. Notability wins if you replay lectures a lot, because the recording sits next to your notes. For the memorizing part, most also use a flashcard tool such as Anki or StudyPDF.

Which is easier to use, Notability or Goodnotes?

Notability feels simpler at first: one scrolling note per class and a record button. Goodnotes has more structure to set up, with notebooks, folders and templates, which pays off once you have many courses.

How much do Goodnotes and Notability cost?

As of October 2026, Goodnotes Essential is $11.99 a year and Pro $35.99 a year, with a one-time Special Edition on Apple devices. Notability Lite is $14.99, Plus $19.99 and Pro $99.99 a year, and it showed 20% off on October 14. Both have a free plan.

Can I make flashcards from my Goodnotes or Notability notes?

Yes. Both have AI tools that build quizzes from your notes, with limits on the cheaper plans. You can also export the notebook and upload it to StudyPDF, which builds flashcards, quizzes and practice exams and exports the cards to Anki.