vs
Microsoft OneNote vs Goodnotes
Microsoft OneNote scores higher overall (8.2 vs 8), but the right pick depends on what you need.
Choose Microsoft OneNote if…
Students and Microsoft 365 users who want free notes with optional Copilot
8.2/10★★★★★Full review →Side by side
| Microsoft OneNote | Goodnotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.2/10 | 8/10 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 10 | #4 of 10 |
| Price | Freemium · from $9.99/month | Freemium · from $11.99/year |
| Free version | OneNote is free with 5GB of OneDrive storage | Up to 3 files and 100MB of storage |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows |
| Made by | Microsoft | Goodnotes Limited |
| Note quality | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Ease of use | 8 | 8.5 |
| Features | 8 | 7 |
| Value for money | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| Platforms | 10 | 9.5 |
Microsoft OneNote: what the AI does
- Copilot in the OneNote desktop app (Microsoft 365)
- Copilot Notebooks for AI chat over your files
- Voice transcription
- Quick Capture of text, voice, ink or images
- Free app on every platform
- Excellent digital ink and freeform canvas
- Copilot comes with a Microsoft 365 plan many people already have
- Copilot requires a paid Microsoft 365 plan
- Freeform pages can get messy and feel corporate
Goodnotes: what the AI does
- AI audio transcription and live meeting summaries
- AI summaries and search
- Automated note generation from rough notes
- Spellcheck and math help
- AI on the whiteboard canvas
- Best-in-class handwriting experience
- Very cheap annual plans
- Merges meeting transcripts with handwritten notes
- Apps on every platform
- Free plan is limited to 3 files
- Android app is rated well below the iPad app
- Full AI needs the Pro plan