Tablets and styluses are increasingly becoming indispensable tools for students, professionals and anyone who wants to digitize handwritten notes. As these mobile notetaking aids grow in sophistication and popularity, two apps have clearly separated themselves from the pack – GoodNotes and Notability.
Both provide robust feature sets that do justice to analog pen and paper, but also diverge in strategic ways. This comprehensive guide will overview the origins and visions behind each app, conduct a detailed feature comparison, evaluate their respective strengths and weaknesses, and provide recommendations on which type of user can benefit most from each.
A Quick History
Let‘s first understand the background behind both apps before diving into the comparison.
GoodNotes was created in 2010 by Steven Hanson, envisioned as a general purpose notetaking app custom fit to the capabilities of the then-new iPad. Core design principles focused on replicating both the aesthetic feel and utility found in physical notebooks, while integrating next generation organization functionality unique to tablets.
In contrast, Notability arrived a year later thanks to developer Ginger Labs. While also positioned as a notetaking tool, Notability differentiated itself by incorporating multimedia recording and content capabilities suited for academic and business settings right from the start.
Over subsequent years, both apps expanded platform support and added features while staying true to their original charters – GoodNotes continuing to perfect core notetaking, and Notability augmenting functionality for power users.
Side-By-Side Feature Comparison
Before we analyze key differentiators, let‘s quickly summarize how core capabilities stack up across both apps:
| Feature | GoodNotes | Notability |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Writing Feel | Industry leading. Mimics real pen on paper. | Very good. Slightly less realistic ink dispersion. |
| Note Organization | Folder structure with deep nesting hierarchy. Tagging for discovery. | Simpler folder system. Relies on infinite canvas. |
| Drawing Tools | Rulers, shapes, advanced graphic options. | More basic sketching capabilities. |
| Audio Recording | No built-in support. Can insert external clips. | Robust integrated recorder, synced to notes. |
| Importing Options | PDFs, PowerPoint, advanced format support. | Wide range supported but less robust than GoodNotes. |
| Sharing & Export | PDF, JPG, PNG plus proprietary format. | Identical output formats. Can also email notes. |
| Platform Support | Apple + Android tablet/phones. | Apple devices only. |
| Pricing | $7.99 after 30-day free trial. | $11.99 after 7-day free trial. |
Both apps cover core notetaking through advanced functionality – but clearly align capabilities towards differing use cases. Now let‘s explore the key variables in depth.
Key Differentiators Between The Two Leading Note Taking Apps
Writing Feel and Responsiveness
The precision of digital ink dispersion while you write makes a world of difference in notetaking app preference. GoodNotes pulls ahead of Notability and virtually every other option by perfectly replicating the smooth friction of pen on paper.
Custom Palm Rejection, Pressure Detection, Tilt Response plus innovative algorithms enable remarkably natural feel indistinguishable from traditional writing. Notability trails ever so slightly – while quite usable, ink flow lacks finer granularity you may notice over long form writing sessions.
For Mary, a college student who hand writes over 4 hours of notes per day, GoodNotes‘ superior writing detail keeps writing fatigue and cramping at bay – a literal lifesaver when coming up on finals.
"My intense med school curriculum needs seamless notetaking. Only GoodNotes offers a flawless writing response to keep up with lectures all day long." [- Mary C., 3rd Year Medical Student]
The bottom line – if your priority is to make digital notes feel as natural as possible, GoodNotes remains best-in-class for its writing experience today.
Organization and Navigation
Notes do you little good if you can‘t easily reference back to Find key details later when needed. Both GoodNotes and Notability offer plenty of flexibility to structure your notebooks however you want. But when it comes to navigating extensive archives, GoodNotes offers superior organizational breadth and depth.
Notebook nesting enables intricate hierarchies while tagging provides secondary filtering mechanisms for efficient access. In contrast, Notability simplifies folder structure rather than intricate nesting, instead relying on its infinite canvas to house notes in a streamlined system.
For researchers like Michael who rely on contextual recall across thousands of hand written pages, GoodNotes dynamic organization keeps relevant notes instantly accessible:
"GoodNotes‘ nested notebooks are a game changer. Just yesterday I instantly found a rare insight I scribbled months ago thanks to comprehensive tagging – letting me accelerate my work tremendously." [- Michael P., Historical Researcher]
So for heavy note archives requiring intricate yet intuitive access, GoodNotes remains best-in-class for organization. Notability still gets the job done for simpler hierarchies.
Multimedia Capabilities
While visual notes are central to both apps, Notability pulls ahead by allowing integrated audio commentary combined with written notes – a potential game changer for certain use cases.
The ability to simultaneously record lectures while taking handwritten notes provides invaluable context later when reviewing material. Playback happens in perfect sync, with visual timeline tieing audio commentary to what was written at the time.
This multimedia approach catalyzes productivity in academic and business settings. Unfortunately GoodNotes still lacks native audio integration beyond basic file insertion disjointed from content creation.
"As an MBA student crunching late nights prepping for case competitions, being able to replay the precise moment our team debated a strategy tied to my scribbled diagrams is an absolute lifesaver." [- Priya T., MBA Candidate]
For power users who create mixed media content, Notability is the unambiguous choice today.
Platform Support
As predominantly iPad based tools, both apps offer full optimization for Apple Pencil with customizable controls fine tuned for the stylus. But an underreported platform difference also exists between the two:
In late 2022 Notability discontinued Android mobile support to focus exclusively on Apple‘s ecosystem for the foreseeable future. In contrast, GoodNotes maintains Android compatibility across phones and tablets expand its accessible user base.
For iOS loyalists this may not shift the needle. But for those users ingrained in Android or across environments, single OS constraint introduces unnecessary device limitations.
So when evaluating genuine cross platform support, GoodNotes emerges as the multi-OS option better suited for heterogeneous environments. But within Apple‘s walled garden, both deliver equal excellence.
Which App Should You Choose?
So when all is said and done, should you choose GoodNotes or Notability as your notetaking partner? As with most software comparisons, the answer depends entirely on your needs and preferences.
For academics and auditory learners, Notability should be your choice today thanks to integrated audio recording features that capture complete context from lessons and lectures. Perfect sync between handwritten notes and audio commentary improves encoding and retention tremendously.
For advanced illustration beyond text notes, GoodNotes provides more advanced graphic tools enabling full creativity. The premium writing feel also makes it ideal for free-flowing visual conceptualization.
For mobile power users who already rely on Android phones or flip between platforms, only GoodNotes‘ OS-agnostic support can prevent device limitation frustration. Seamless synchronization across Apple and Android gives ultimate environment flexibility.
And for casual users who only occasionally take digital notes, Notability‘s free flavor forever offering delivers completely adequate functionality for the price sensitive. Plus real-time collaboration features like document co-editing bring unique value.
Over the past decade, both GoodNotes and Notability have proven their staying power driving innovation for digital notetaking. This guide should provide full clarity determining which solution best aligns to your needs and priorities today. But both remain excellent choices poised to continue leading the paperless revolution worldwide.
Summarizing the Key Differences
| GoodNotes | Notability |
|---|---|
| Superior writing precision feel | Integrated audio recording |
| Advanced organization infrastructure | Simplified folder note storage |
| More advanced illustration tools | Real-time collaboration support |
| Cross platform support | Forever free version available |
Hopefully this comprehensive feature comparison helps you determine the right fit for your needs. Let us know if you have any other questions in the comments!
