GoodNotes VS Microsoft OneNote

Digital note-taking platforms are gaining huge popularity among users to ease their note tracking process and enhance productivity. GoodNotes and OneNote are two most used note-making tools with their own advantages and disadvantages. In this comparison, we will talk about their pricing, ease of use, features, pros and cons, support options and more. After carefully reading this comparison guide, you can easily tell which platform best aligns with your specific requirements.

GoodNotes and OneNote: Overview

GoodNotes and OneNote are both popular note-taking software designed to assist users in organizing their thoughts, annotating documents, and capturing their ideas across various devices.

GoodNotes stands out for its intuitive interface and extensive features tailored towards digital handwriting and sketching. It ensures a smooth writing experience and robust organization tools, making it popular among students, professionals, and creatives alike.

OneNote, on the other hand, is developed by Microsoft and it is known for its versatility and integration with the Microsoft Office suite. It provides users with a flexible canvas for note-taking, allowing them to mix typed notes, handwritten annotations, images, and audio recordings in a single workspace. OneNote's strength lies in its collaborative features and seamless synchronization across devices.

GoodNotes vs. OneNote: Pros and Cons

• GoodNotes primarily focuses on Apple devices, and it supports limited functionality on other platforms. On the other hand, OneNote supports Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
• OneNote offers fewer options for customizing the look and feel of your notes compared to GoodNotes.
• Goodnotes’ documents and notebooks are accessible offline after downloading. Whereas with OneNote, users need to sync their documents with cloud for full functionality.
• When it comes to PDF annotation, GoodNotes offers robust features like highlight sections, handwritten comments, and draw shapes etc. On the other hand, OneNote provides basic PDF annotation features.

GoodNotes vs. OneNote: In Terms of Features

• Handwriting Recognition: GoodNotes and some other GoodNotes alternatives provide robust handwriting recognition features, enabling users to convert handwritten notes into searchable text effortlessly. OneNote also offers handwriting recognition but may not be as accurate or customizable as GoodNotes.
• Organization Tools: GoodNotes offers a variety of organization tools, including customizable notebooks, folders, and tags. This allows users to structure their notes efficiently. On the other hand, OneNote uses a notebook-section-page hierarchy which provides users with flexibility in organizing their documents. However, it may lack some tagging features found in GoodNotes.
• Personalization: With GoodNotes, users can easily personalize their notebook. By selecting paper kinds, textures, colors, background and more, they can adjust it according to their personal style. OneNote on the other hand, offers limited personalization capabilities compared to GoodNotes.
• Templates: Goodnotes offers a good selection of pre-made templates for planners, mind maps, and Cornell notes. However, creating custom templates requires additional workarounds or third-party apps. On the surface, OneNote comes with a limited set of basic templates and prioritizes creating custom templates from scratch.
• Collaboration: GoodNotes has limited collaboration features. For example, users can only export notes for sharing. Alternatively, OneNote and other OneNote alternatives provide real-time collaboration where multiple users can edit notes simultaneously. It is ideal for teamwork and shared projects.

GoodNotes vs OneNote: AI Capabilities

Both GoodNotes and OneNote come with AI capabilities. GoodNotes offers AI features such as Spellcheck, Word Complete, Math problem recognition, and AI typing for summarizing your content.

However, OneNote outshines GoodNotes as it offers a Copilot (Microsoft’s AI assistant) that uses prompt to summarize, generate ideas, organize information, and more.

GoodNotes vs OneNote: User Interface

GoodNotes has a clean and minimalist user interface that focuses on simplicity and ease of use. Whereas OneNote's interface follows the Microsoft Office design, and it appears cluttered to new users.

GoodNotes or OneNote: Pricing

GoodNotes offers a free plan with 3 notebooks and 20 minutes of audio recording. For unlimited notebooks and recording, users have to purchase the premium plan which starts at INR 999 a year. OneNote, on the other hand, is free to use with basic features, but advanced functionality may require a Microsoft 365 subscription, which starts at INR 489/month.

GoodNotes vs. OneNote: Cloud Integration

GoodNotes primarily relies on iCloud for seamless synchronization across Apple devices. OneNote on the other hand, offers robust cloud integration with OneDrive for easy cross-platform synchronization and collaboration.

GoodNotes vs. OneNote: Customer Support

GoodNotes provides customer support through its website, FAQs, and live chat assistance. OneNote has an upper hand over GoodNotes as it offers support through Microsoft's extensive support network, including online forums and help articles. OneNote also provides direct assistance through Microsoft support channels.

Which is Better, GoodNotes or OneNote?

Both GoodNotes and OneNote offer unique features and cater to different user preferences. GoodNotes is ideal for users who prioritize handwriting and sketching capabilities, seamless organization, and a clean interface. On the other hand, OneNote shines in collaborative work environments, integration with Microsoft Office, and cross-platform compatibility. Ultimately, the choice between GoodNotes and OneNote depends on individual preferences, workflow requirements, and platform ecosystem.