The best Goodnotes alternatives are Notability, PDF Expert, and Microsoft OneNote, depending on whether you care most about handwriting, clean PDF markup, or keeping study materials in order. Goodnotes is popular for a reason; Apple even named GoodNotes 5 the 2022 iPad App of the Year [source: Apple]. But it is not perfect. Some users want better audio notes, stronger PDF tools, easier cross-platform access, or a workspace that does not feel packed with notebooks.
TLDR: Pick Notability if you take handwritten notes during lectures and want synced audio. Pick PDF Expert if you spend most of your time marking up long PDFs, contracts, slides, or research papers. Pick Microsoft OneNote if you have 5 classes, 12 project folders, and too many loose files to remember. For example, a student with 3 weekly lectures could use Notability for class notes, PDF Expert for readings, and OneNote as the main study hub.
1. Notability: Best for handwritten notes with audio
Notability is the closest Goodnotes rival for people who write by hand on an iPad. It feels smooth, quick, and made for real note-taking instead of just pretty pages. The biggest win is audio recording. You can record a lecture while writing, then tap a word later and hear what was said at that exact moment.
That feature is gold for students. It also helps in meetings, interviews, coaching calls, and workshops. If your notes are messy, the audio can save you. Goodnotes has improved a lot, but Notability still feels more natural when voice and handwriting need to work together.
Best uses:
- Lecture notes with audio playback
- Handwritten study notes
- Math, chemistry, and diagram-heavy classes
- Quick sketching during meetings
What works well: the writing feels fluid, the interface is simple, and switching between pen, highlighter, eraser, and lasso tools is quick. You can import PDFs, write on slides, and organize notes by subject.
What may annoy you: the subscription model can feel tiring if you already paid for other note apps. It also drives me crazy that some files can feel buried after months of use unless you set up subjects and dividers from day one. Spend 10 minutes organizing early. It saves hours later.
2. PDF Expert: Best for serious PDF markup
PDF Expert is the best choice if your main job is reading, marking, signing, and managing PDF files. This is not a notebook-first app. It is a PDF-first app. That matters.
Goodnotes can open PDFs and handle basic markup, but PDF Expert gives you stronger tools for comments, highlights, stamps, signatures, forms, page edits, and file handling. If you work with reports, legal files, academic papers, lesson packs, or client documents, the difference is obvious after a few minutes.
Best uses:
- Annotating research papers
- Highlighting business reports
- Filling and signing PDF forms
- Reviewing contracts or client files
- Managing large PDF folders
What works well: highlights are clean, comments are easy to find, and page management is much better than in most note apps. You can delete, rotate, move, and merge pages without feeling like you are fighting the software.
The catch is that PDF Expert is not the best place for freeform handwritten notebooks. You can write with an Apple Pencil, sure. But if your day is full of blank pages, mind maps, and loose study notes, Notability or OneNote will feel better.
3. Microsoft OneNote: Best for organized study materials
Microsoft OneNote is the strongest option for people who want everything in one place. Notes, PDFs, screenshots, typed text, web clips, tables, checklists, drawings, class plans, and project research can all live inside one notebook system.
Its structure is simple: notebooks, sections, and pages. That may sound boring, but it works. A college student could create one notebook for the semester, sections for each class, and pages for weekly lectures, readings, exam prep, and assignments. Nothing fancy. Very effective.
OneNote also works across iPad, Windows, Mac, Android, and the web. That makes it a better pick than Goodnotes for mixed-device users. If you take handwritten notes on an iPad but study on a Windows laptop, OneNote is easier to live with.
Best uses:
- Class notes across many subjects
- Project research and planning
- Typed notes mixed with handwriting
- Shared notebooks for group study
- Long-term storage of study materials
What works well: the endless page canvas is great for brainstorming. You can place text boxes, images, drawings, and files almost anywhere. Search is also useful when your notes pile up.
What may annoy you: handwriting does not feel as polished as Goodnotes or Notability. Palm rejection and pen feel can vary by device. Honestly, it feels like OneNote sometimes needs one extra tap for actions that should be instant. Still, for keeping study materials sorted, it is hard to beat.
Quick comparison
- Choose Notability if audio notes and handwriting are your top needs.
- Choose PDF Expert if PDFs are your daily workload.
- Choose OneNote if organization and device syncing matter most.
If you want one simple answer, start with the app that matches your main task. Do not pick based on the prettiest templates. Pick based on the work you repeat every day. Students who listen, write, and review lectures will get the most from Notability. Researchers and professionals who live inside PDFs should try PDF Expert. Anyone juggling classes, files, links, and typed notes should use OneNote.
Goodnotes is still excellent. But the best app is the one that removes friction. If marking up one PDF takes 20 seconds longer than it should, or finding last week’s notes turns into a mini treasure hunt, that small pain adds up. These three apps solve different problems better than Goodnotes, and that is exactly why they are worth trying.
