The best GoodNotes alternatives for iPad

GoodNotes is excellent, but it is not for everyone. Some people want a different pricing model, a cleaner interface, audio recording, or — increasingly — AI that actually helps them study. If you are shopping for a GoodNotes alternative, here are the options that hold up, and who each one suits.

Notek — for students who want an AI tutor

Notek is a full iPad notebook with Apple Pencil handwriting, but its standout is a built-in AI tutor: it explains topics from your notes, answers questions, offers live voice tutoring, and generates study guides. The notebook works offline for free; a $4.99/month premium unlocks unlimited AI. If the thing GoodNotes is missing for you is study help, this is the most direct alternative.

Notability — for lecture recording

Notability is famous for recording audio synced to your handwriting, so you can tap a word and hear what was being said when you wrote it. It is a strong choice for lectures and meetings, with a freemium model. It does not include a conversational AI tutor.

Apple Notes — for free and built-in

Apple Notes is free, built into every iPad, and supports Apple Pencil handwriting plus Smart Script in recent iPadOS. It has no AI tutor or study-guide generation, but for casual note-taking at zero cost it is genuinely good.

OneNote — for free, cross-platform organization

Microsoft OneNote is free and works across platforms, which matters if you switch between an iPad and a PC. Its Apple Pencil experience is less iPad-optimized than GoodNotes, and its AI lives behind a Microsoft 365 subscription rather than as a study tutor.

The verdict

If you love GoodNotes’ handwriting but want study help, try Notek. For lecture recording choose Notability; for a free built-in option, Apple Notes; for cross-platform work, OneNote.