Notability vs GoodNotes 5 // Which is the BEST iPad Note taking App? (2021)

Hey everyone, this is my in-depth comparison between the two most popular iPad note-taking apps for 2021! I hope this helps you make a decision as to which one to get and to help you ace your next semester at school! :) #notetaking #ipad #school #comparison #tech #notability #goodnotes5

Gear I use:

Timecodes
0:00 - Intro
3:06 - Notability Organization
4:50 - Goodnotes 5 Organization
6:19 - Notability Customization
6:49 - Goodnotes 5 Customization
7:26 - Notability Features
10:20 - Goodnotes 5 Features
14:13 - Differences
17:08 - Final Thoughts
18:15 - Outro

[NathanLemoine]

*** CORRECTION ***
A few of you have let me know that you can export specific pages from a document in Goodnotes 5. To do this you need to press the icon with four squares in the top left, press the select button on the top right of the page selector menu that pops up, and select the pages you want to export. I want to say thank you for the corrections as I just want my videos to be as accurate as possible! :)

[Jian]

I was blessed to get notability when it was free like many years ago when it first came out. But I never used it, as my 2015 iPad Air 2 doesn’t work with a pencil. Currently getting the iPad mini 6 and researching into the best note taking app (I want just one to work with in a long run). I think the “free” notability I got can finally be put to good use. Thanks for the great comparison!

[PbA]

This is now a no brained. Notability just went to a subscription model while Goodnotes is a one time purchase. Goodnotes wins hands down.

[vivianjoymetin]

Such a good vid! I dont usually watch long videos but you explained it well. The last part where you list its little differences helped me a lot. I am an engineering student too, decided to go with goodnotes, i will go with notability!

[gabkess]

3 things for Goodnotes: For the object tool, you don't need to hold on, it creates the object/line as soon as you are done drawing. Also it is possible to adjust the sizes, you just need to press long in the outlined objects and then click on "change size". Also it's possible to export selected pages on goodnotes 5 on the miniatures page.

[tamiajohnson]

I love that notability you can save you fonts and Tao through instead of changing each time

[ritwikbasak]

I have watched multiple comparisons but I have to accept you really pointed out the pros of notability pretty well

[ccristi]

In GoodNotes, you can export a range of selected pages. You just go the the pages view, hit select, and then hit export to export only the selected pages.

[martaguevara]

FINALLY! A review that showed what I needed to see. I agree with some of the other comments. The last part was extremely helpful. Thank so much!

[akfisher]

Thank you for revealing the tiny but important marginal differences between the apps. This is exactly what I was looking for. Maybe you could rename or rebrand your video or channel to emphasise that you explore real experiences of using the apps. Nobody else is doing this!

[tarekrchaid]

Great job and I’m getting GoodNotes because I need organization and customization rather than those small note taking features. Thanks for your help!

[TesBouleTi]

Thanks a lot for this clean video ! Bought Notability thanks to you :)

[binry_dstructr]

I was leaning towards Notability because of its math conversion feature over everything else ... that is until I recently learned its fee structure is no longer a one-time purchase but now an annual subscription.

[aarushikhamankar]

This video is truly unbiased and shows which all is better. I full heartedly believe that no app beats the note taking experience in notability and I’m glad that this video was showing the better features. My all time favorite feature of notability is the auto-scroll while taking notes which is not is GoodNotes. But anyways this video was amazing thank you for the info!

[vviewwy]

Omgggg this video is everything I wanted to know!! Thank you so muchh <3

[adamsmelt]

See I really like the features and layout of good notes but I think some key features in notability make it kind of a no brainer. Like the ability to record a lecture or meeting and when playing it back the notes show as the recording goes on. That's an awesome feature for students! Thanks for the video. Super helpful and unbiased! Helped me go from on the fence to definite answer

[markyliveslife]

Very informative video. I personally use Goodnotes but I admit I havent really utilized all features yet. Before purchasing it, I compared with Notability and also watched several videos before deciding on GN. So far, so good.

[rooorooo]

I have used both apps for a while now and switched over all the time, but after two months, I concluded as follow
Notability:
1- audio recording it’s excellent but aware you will hear the pencil noise while you are writing a note
2- erasable feature is more accurate in notability
3- if you prefer dark templet the one in notability is darker than the one in Goodnotes5
4- customizing switching and also writing feels more premium in notability, personal opinion

Goodnotes5:

1-opining tow or more windows at the same time
2- organizing folder overall is more superior here
3- text search is better here
4- Goodnotes5 use less space in note-taking.
Finally: daily use go with notability, and be careful about organizing your files so you can reach them quickly

[whisker]

For organizational purposes in Notability, you can make a divider for “Old Courses” and place all your old class dividers into it. Stacking dividers is very helpful for organization in notability!

[caoquytrieu]

I am an engineer as well. This is what i need to decide to buy one. Notability