BEST Note-taking App for the M4 iPad Pro - Goodnotes, Notability, Apple Notes - In Depth Comparison

[@G.O.D...]

I think Goodnotes also syncs the recording and the writing. Btw, I love Apple Notes, it's great, but if only it was possible to create notebooks. That's the thing forces me to buy other apps.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I think you’re right about Goodnotes. I unfortunately learned that after making the video but thank you for helping more people to know that! For me, the ability to keep making folders in folders allows me to not really need specific notebooks, but I understand that for some people folders aren’t good enough. Thanks for sharing!

[@ChrisFrand]

Also with goodnote one time purchase you buy the version so when goodnote 7 comes out you will probably have to pay again if you use one time purchase that was at least how it was from 5 to 6

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I believe that is the case as well

[@smullis7]

The fact that they charged again going from 5 to 6 is what turned me off to Good Notes. I still have 5 and use it, but really want to transition to Notes and be done with payments.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah a good thing with Apple notes is that they don’t require any extra payments and that is a big plus

[@GrafXMotion]

I completely agree. Apple notes for me. But my needs are not as full featured as some of the other apps offer. I felt this was an excellent review! I definitely learned a lot!

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I’m glad you found this review informative! Yeah it’s kinda weird, Apple Notes seems like in some ways it’s not as full featured, but in other ways, it seems way more featured! But I guess that can also be the Apple way😂

[@charlesleonard9459]

With the expected note features coming with the IPAD 18 update, it is difficult to consider paying for a note-taking app. Also, I would like to draw attention to an app called Audio Note. It allows you to take Audio and as you take notes, it time stamps the written note to the audio, making it easy to refer back to what was being said at the time you wrote the note. I have used this app for many years when I need to use take notes during a lecture/meeting.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I agree, at least for me, I don’t need any other note-taking app. Audio Note sounds interesting! I’ll check it out, if it seems really interesting I might make a part 2 with that app included!

[@Taxberg214]

VERY helpful! Thank you so much!

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Great! Glad it could help!

[@ok-yh8jt]

Does someone know how to fix the memory problem with notability? One of my note in google drive is 3mb, and when I uploaded it in notability it took about 60mb of ipad storage. How can I fix this?

[@thetruthseekerswithrandymc5850]

I use Noteshelf 3 and I love but never used the AI function. You just taught me something

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

That’s great! I always aim to have something that is new every time you watch one of my videos!

[@supercrazpianomanaic]

I love apple notes, but my iPad gets insanely hot for some reason for using it. Will try switching back to OneNote for now and see if the heat issue improves

[@supercrazpianomanaic]

M1 iPad Air

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I actually have some overheating issues as well. I might make a deeper dive video into Apple Notes and I’ll definitely talk about that problem as well

[@VKTR_Tech]

You're mistaken about Notability squeeze support. It switches to the eraser while it's being squeezed and goes back to the previous tool when you let go.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I thought that was the case but while I was recording I couldn’t get that to work at all, so I thought maybe it wasn’t true, thanks for letting me know though, must’ve been a glitch for me

[@SCSLead]

Question: I like typing notes and then using Apple pencil to make notes in that document. However, I cannot find a way to do this when using Notes. The pencil will not work in the typed area. Any ideas?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Well you can add text boxes in Apple notes and that’s the only way to really have handwritten and typed text in the same spot in Apple Notes. Hope that helps!

[@MessiRonaIdo]

Hello kind of a side question i getting back to school in a few weeks and i have been thinking of getting a new ipad currently confused on which to get the ipad 10 or the ipad air 5 they mostly seem the same with a few minor improvements (minor for me as i dont really need them) except for the price so is it worth paying more for the air?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I would say if you don’t really need the features of the new Apple Pencil Pro, then it’s probably not worth it. The screen is better on the Air but not by a lot and for school tasks, the chip difference shouldn’t matter. What I will say is, you may want to look for a used iPad Pro (like 2018-2020) they will be around that price but give you ProMotion (and Apple Pencil 2nd gen support which is better than what the iPad 10 supports and it’s much cheaper to find used than an Apple Pencil Pro). So that would be my recommendation, but if you have to go for new, then probably iPad 10.

[@emmanuellema3979]

New apple intelligence features, which will work with apple notes are only available in m series chips

[@DebojitBhadra-uw9rm]

Which size of iPad pro are you using in this video?is it 11inch or it's 13inch?Bro pls reply i am willing to buy an ipad pro..but am so confused which size should i go for..i am in 11th grade preparing for SAT and JEE advanced(Engineering entrance exam in India)

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

It’s the 11 inch, I actually have a video on my channel comparing the different sizes as well, thanks for asking!

[@killerxhighlights8294]

hehpful video !

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Glad it was helpful! That’s my goal!

[@alibaran91]

Hi sir, Which note-taking app consumes the least battery while taking notes?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

In my testing, I’d say Goodnotes. Notability is pretty much the same though. Apple notes seems to drain the most for me rights now, but they might be because of the beta I’m not 100% sure

[@soumya3409]

Hey guys I have questions (on writing experience ) Like do you guys feel the same lemme know... 1. In goodnote apple pencil kinda lags and weird lines apears ( while writing c,e,a,o etc ) 2. Notability and onenote has better overall writing experience 3. Apple note provides best writing experience no lag no weird marks and best dark mode. (Only con is unable to zoom handwritten note)

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I haven’t experienced that issue with Goodnotes in any of my use, but I would agree that Apple Notes has the most fluid and accurate writing experience

[@merteskioglu1849]

Will the new features of Apple Notes make it as good as GoodNotes 6? Can someone answer this question for me?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I think it definitely has the potential to do that, right now, iPadOS 18 is in beta so some of the features don’t work super well, but once they are working very well, I think it could have even more features than GoodNotes 6

[@vic_berger]

Scribble-to-erase: you need to keep the pen on the iPad after scribbling for a short time -> erase.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Gotcha, I’ll give that a try!

[@thereaIest.]

I want an app that will let me convert to Text from hand written notes. Does apple Notes do that? Which app is best even if paid is needed

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah Apple notes does that pretty well, and I know Goodnotes and Notability do as well. It’s actually a pretty common feature among these apps. But if I had to pick a best, I’d probably go with Apple Notes

[@venugopaldevakumar6743]

The only problem with Apple notes/Freeform is how laggy it becomes as you fill up one note with a lot of pen strokes. There are workarounds, sure, but those don't work well on either app.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I don’t usually have too many issues with that, but I do know what you’re saying, it can become an issue if you have a lot of handwriting. Honestly I think that Apple’s native apps have some of the best looking handwriting, but it also seems to stress the device that I’m using a bit more. Have you had any overheating or things like that with extended use?

[@venugopaldevakumar6743]

@@Graf-XTechReviews I have a 9th gen iPad so it gets laggy quickly, to the point where it’s a pain to write any further. So I guess I’ve never pushed it to its limits..?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Gotcha that makes sense. Have you found any app that runs better on your iPad?

[@nasergh9354]

Hi. can goodnote open and write on heavy 1000 pages 1 gigabyte pdfs?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I don’t have any pdfs that are a full gigabyte, but I imported a 5000 page one and it seems to work well!

[@sumaninmedical]

If I write a word it's last letter get bend like s,r,g,y etc,take slightly different shape not what I intend to write Do you feel same problem?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

In which app are you having this issue? Or is it in all of them?

[@sumaninmedical]

@@Graf-XTechReviews no only in goodnotes

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Ok thank you for clarifying! I haven’t really noticed that, but I’ll start paying closer attention and let you know if I start seeing that too

[@monukumar-yv8fw]

Apple note is good but have heating issue after 10 page

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah I get that too, but I get it on most of the note-taking apps, it doesn’t seem to be specific to Apple notes

[@zefiro8393]

If you write in GoodNotes with the Magic Keyboard, you can't even change the font or the text size. Incredible. Unacceptable. The app is great, but this absolutely needs to be improved because it's ridiculous. I would have liked it if, in your test, you had used both the Magic Keyboard and the Pencil simultaneously. You would have seen that, in this case, even Apple Notes performs very poorly.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I can look into making a follow up video showing some of these apps with the Magic Keyboard as well, I can totally see how that’d be helpful. It wasn’t my biggest focus in this video, but I totally see what you mean. In my opinion, however, I think Apple notes handles typed text fairly well and it gives multiple methods for adding text in. I’m just curious, what don’t you like about how it adds text?

[@zefiro8393]

@@Graf-XTechReviews Of course, your video is very interesting. Mine was a suggestion, not a critique. For example, in Notes, try to write a simple to-do list with the keyboard. Then, take the Pencil and try to write something next to (not below) that list (a parenthesis, a handwritten note, anything). Can you do it? I can't. It seems that where you write with the keyboard, you can't use the Pencil. Maybe it's just me being clumsy, but I find it absurd. In GoodNotes, at least for this, there are no problems.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Ok, gotcha, I see what you’re saying

[@hugofick4032]

Goodnotes voice recordings does the same thing as notability…(and has had the feature before notability too, if I’m not mistaken)

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Interesting, I tried getting that to work with Goodnotes but it didn’t seem to. I’ll try again, thanks for letting me know!

[@monukumar-yv8fw]

I do not like goodnote it overpriced and does not work dork mode

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Which note-taking app do you use? I find that Goodnotes seems reasonable for the most part, as I don’t see many good apps that don’t require some form of payment

[@estebanvargas5824]

Bro needs an app with dork mode

[@sadumae]

@@estebanvargas5824LMAO

[@zorak964]

Which size is your iPad used in the video?

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I use the 11” iPad Pro!

[@gabek1120]

If anyone wants to use GoodNotes because its also on android, look at the reviews, the android version doesnt sound as good, the reviews turned me off from it. I'm disapointed, I think what I want doesn't exist, as usual... (this happens to me alot with alot of items, I have a very inventive mind that tends to think stuff up that doesnt exist, this ranges from apps, games and even clothing and furniture, i cant possible make all that myself though lol) I'll have to try alot of apps people aren't aware off, or aren't using and shift through them all and see which ones fit my needs, but I have a feeling its doomed.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Yeah that’s very interesting, I should’ve checked more into the Android version. I guess it was just wishful thinking to expect that app to be the same as iOS. Have you had any luck finding an app that has good cross-compatibility?

[@gabek1120]

@@Graf-XTechReviews not yet. It's going to take a few days. Also my ipad keeps getting delayed so I only can check on my old one which is let's jsut say super old and slow lol

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Gotcha, no worries, let me know if you find anything else!

[@DaudBurke]

Proverbs? I used to read one chapter a day for years as a Christian. Then I became Muslim.

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

I find that when I start off the day reading my Bible, the day seems to go much much better! Yeah I’ve done the Proverb a day as well but I don’t hold to that always. I love going through the New Testament as well! I think we’d all benefit from reading the Bible more and more and I’d encourage you and everyone, especially myself, to do so! Thanks for watching and commenting! Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see on the channel!

[@user-wk1rt7zq7j]

The Android goodnotes version is sadly trash

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Ah ok, that’s very interesting. Since I don’t have an Android device myself I haven’t tried it so that’s good to know. Do you know of any cross-compatible note taking apps that do work well on both platforms?

[@user-wk1rt7zq7j]

@@Graf-XTechReviews Onenote works well , Nebo works well. Other than that i have not tried any

[@Graf-XTechReviews]

Ok, thank you