Goodnotes 6 vs. Notability (Which is better after the 2023 updates?)

Earlier this year, I reviewed Notability & GoodNotes, and compared their features to tell you which one was better at that time. Both apps have since released major updates, so it's time to revisit this ongoing war.

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Intro: 00:00
User Interface: 00:24
Document Management: 02:44
Taking Notes: 05:57
Extra Features: 10:11
Backup & Sharing: 12:02
Pricing & Updates: 13:51
Final Verdict: 15:45
Outro: 16:26

[nerdynautilus]

Notability charging a subscription so you can use your own iCloud subscription is

[_cmzo_]

Subscription for the cloud storage, for the calendar, for the newsletters reader and another one to take notes… I need to get another job to use my ipad

[SpaceLegends]

I already subscribed to notability, I’m just here to combat any possible buyers remorse 😭😂
The deciding factor for me was the organizing simplicity on notability 🤩

[_Maysan]

As someone who tried both, I fully switched to notability for the better writing experience, in GN the pen is weirdly laggy while in notability it's so much smoother. Another thing is the way I can write continuously between 2 pages in my notes without having to split my notes between them (gives me more space btw). These things are not mentioned here in the vid (honestly unfair).
Ps: the favorite tools are back in notability ^_^

[cliffbarber]

I’ve been using Notability for about 5 years. I didn’t like the new UI when it was released, but in looking again at Notability and GOODNOTES I still come back to Notability since it was much simpler to use and works really well and quickly with imported documents.

[lanongphichit]

I think the one-time payment really does sell the point for me on a good note because I don't exactly like subscriptions. It caused me more stress than needed, and I don't take notes on the computer it fit what I need for notetaking.

[OscarMauricioNaranjoSanabria]

for me the best thing is your voice recording. because it records but at the same time transcribes the voices no matter the language. I have tried it in English, French and Spanish and it is simply spectacular

[socialnormaris]

A pencil just a pencil that is all Goodnotes needed to be perfect for me. Whenever I write on Goodnotes it looks horrible but on Notability with the pencil it looks better.

[teachershahira]

Like what you said in 16:25, Goodnotes 6 added what Notability had which I liked: the ruler, dashed and dotted lines, colour coding and the eye dropper tool. The new linking tool in GoodNotes 6 is super useful, though I wish they had put in a pencil/ribbon tool in place of the eye dropper. Rectangular lasso like in Notability would also have been worthwhile. A great review. Thanks 🙏🏻

[alexh.]

I tried both in September 2023 for note-taking on the iPad. Goodnotes was waaaay too cluttered. There were all these options to customize pointless things like notebook covers. And the file organization system was in the form of an icon view, which I found cluttered. By comparison, Notability's UI is minimal and simple and easy to immediately understand and use right away. The files are organized in a simple list view. Much easier!

[shoalins]

I'm glad I paid for notability when I did. I'm grandfathered into a lot of things you now have to pay for.

[dragansaraginov]

Why no one is talking about the fact that Goodnotes 6 stopped Family sharing of the paid application. So now, if you have kids who are dependant on Goodnotes because of the school, and if upgraded to Goodnotes 6 one need to pay for each kid license. Evenmore, the account in Goodnotes can not be created if the kid is less then 16 years :(

[semaga]

Very helpful. I choose notability for its simplicity

[tristanpaup]

As someone who have a course in college(Astronomy) where almost all the subjects have a lot of math, GoodNotes 6 seems the better one. I’m still looking at Notability tho since it has math recognition for awhile now.

[ShahryarMirzaei-ru]

In Goodnotes double tap on new and you have a quick note

[mastercell]

I was a huge fan of notability for years. My favorite feature was the favorites bar. But that is gone now. And i also didn’t like the organization of the folder with the dropdown menus. I’ve been using goodnotes for about two years now. I love the folder organization and thats about it. If notability brought back the favorites bar and added the option for folder organization i would switch back because at that point they will be far greater than goodnotes in my opinion.

[carloscabrera]

Great Video! I actually use both apps. I use good notes more for pdf type stuff and notebook like organization. I use note ability for actual writing experience and quick simplicity. I’m trying to pick just one, but both lack too much without enough overlap for my needs. Idk why I can’t seem to make good notes my only go to app.

[short-lived]

Guys, can you recommend a good replacement for Goodnotes? I can't believe I have to pay another 30$ in order to update. I don't care paying, but to pay for an update is dirty.

[verahsu]

Everyone has different needs. For me, GoodNotes is more organized and affordable. I don't need all those fancy formats, brushes, and stickers. Plus, I can set up my notes in just a minute before class or a meeting. I paid $6.99 for GoodNotes back in 2017, and now I'm using GoodNotes 6 without spending another dime.

[SageModeObito]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention notability’s gallery. You can access so many notes/templates on just about anything once someone has posted it. I don’t even have access to good notes’ version of that feature because if the country i’m in.