GoodNotes used to be the gold standard of digital note-taking apps—a classic case of “if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.” Before its AI-heavy overhaul, it was one of the most popular and reliable note-taking tools out there. It was intuitive, well-designed, and honestly, I really enjoyed using it. At one point, I even considered purchasing the full version with a one-time payment.
(*Click here to see my notetaking pages done on GoodNotes)
Then came the “big” update.
They scrapped the one-time purchase model and replaced it with a subscription system. Not only that, but they added multiple confusing version tiers and introduced flashy features like a predictive AI tool and a built-in math solver. While these features might sound impressive on paper, they completely changed the app’s user experience, for the worse.
![]() |
GoodNotes logo |
Instead of feeling upgraded, I felt overwhelmed. There were too many options and versions to choose from, and the once-simple interface became cluttered. My immediate thought? WTF is going on? And more importantly, why isn’t there a lifetime purchase option anymore? The new features felt more like gimmicks than genuine improvements.
Ever since that major update, I haven’t touched the app once. They took something that was simple, efficient, and beautifully designed—and turned it into a bloated mess.
I thought I had found the perfect note-taking app... turns out, I haven’t. π
Back to searching for something simple yet efficient—a space where I can freely squeeze out my creative juices without battling unnecessary features and subscriptions.
Until then, let me quietly lament the death of what GoodNotes once was.
So, goodbye GoodNotes. You had potential, but sometimes, less really is more.
RIP GoodNotes.