App on 1 list
Goodnotes
Goodnotes Limited · Free · Productivity · 4.7 (459,424 ratings)
What it does
Goodnotes holds handwritten notes and marked-up PDFs — the textbook, the worked problems — plus a mind map on an infinite canvas, and AI that summarises what you have captured. From 5 apps for teaching yourself something.
The developer describes it as: “Goodnotes has always been the place to capture your ideas — from quick notes to big plans.”
Alternatives to Goodnotes
The closest alternatives to Goodnotes are Brilliant, Focus Train, AnkiMobile Flashcards and Habitica — 4 apps from the list Goodnotes appears on, “5 apps for teaching yourself something”, each answering the same moment a different way.
BrilliantBrilliant teaches math, coding, data and physics as problems you work through with a tutor that sees where you are stuck and can sketch on your screen. Built for understanding rather than memorising formulas.
Focus TrainFocus Train turns a study session into a train ride: board, and the train rolls while you work. Look away and it simply waits at the platform. By the end of the week there is a map of where your attention went.
AnkiMobile FlashcardsAnkiMobile is the mobile companion to Anki, the free open-source spaced-repetition program, written by its lead developer. Paid once, priced like desktop software, with free sync to the computer version. Beware the look-alikes with Anki in the name.
HabiticaHabitica turns the daily practice into a retro RPG: check the session off in real life and your avatar earns gold and experience. Parties let you team up with friends for accountability and fight foes by completing tasks.
Price and ratings
| App | Price | App Store rating | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goodnotes | Free | 4.7 (459,424) | Productivity |
| Brilliant | Free | 4.7 (32,832) | Education |
| Focus Train | Free | 5.0 (5) | Productivity |
| AnkiMobile Flashcards | $24.99 | 4.0 (2,346) | Education |
| Habitica | Free | 4.3 (3,463) | Productivity |
Goodnotes and its alternatives, as the App Store listed them on 2026-10-06.
Goodnotes is free to download from the iOS App Store and holds 4.7 out of 5 from 459,424 ratings, checked on 2026-10-06. Prices and ratings go stale; the App Store is the live source. It is listed there as “Goodnotes: AI Notes, Docs, PDF”.
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