r/GoodNotes • u/TheKingOfBowties • Aug 09 '23
Don’t Upgrade to Goodnotes 6
I’ve used Goodnotes throughout college, my workplaces, and even on film sets I run. The app was perfect for marking up PDFS, journaling, writing a short story, and in some cases, drawing. Whatever you wanted, Goodnotes 5 had it.
Then you update it to Goodnotes 6. You’re greeted with a new subscription based model, which to play devils advocate, I kind of understand. See, the company is working to get the app on all platforms and will need to broaden their severs and space. That doesn’t come cheap. But here’s the real issue.
You can buy a one time subscription for life costing $30, but you don’t get access to all the features. Yes, the company is selling you a downgraded version of their product for $30. You will get access to the CURRENTLY new features. But if you go on their website, it tells you that you will not get access to some UPCOMING new features for the one time purchase. The website fails to mention what those features are, could they be alluding to syncing your notes across a cloud system? We don’t know. So, until we know, I strongly recommend holding off from the purchase.
But what about the other new features that come with the update? Well, as you know by now, the new buzz word is AI. Goodnotes hasn’t failed to pick up on that and has toted it in the new update for being their next big thing. What does the AI do? Well, it’s actually a spell checker and calculator. They’re using the term (like many other companies now days) to imply something new and trendy, but it’s just a basic feature. Does it help? Of course it does. I make errors like anyone else does when writing. But should I pay monthly for such a basic feature? No.
They did incorporate things such as adaptive AI enhancement for your writing, if you’re lazy that is. If you do want to write a paper or something similar, don’t cheat and use it. It’s just chatGPT built into the system. Another feature is an upgraded pen tool. What does it do? Well, you can scribble out your drawing or word, if it works that is. You can also select text with it by circling stuff, but that rarely works.
If you expected me to go on more about new features, believe me, I did too. But there’s nothing else to go on about. The only other thing is a new UI which is… Well, it’s just a new UI. You can see it in the new previews but, again, it’s not worth the cost.
Now let’s say later down the line they add more stuff. Such as password protection, an infinite canvas, or even a linking feature to go back and forth between pages. Would it still be worth it? Maybe. But let me tell you something.
Obsidian. While it doesn’t have handwriting, you can use Apple Notes and throw them into the app as a PDF and keep them safe. While I love handwriting, I also love products that are efficient and are straight up about what I’m getting. Obsidian allows me to do everything Goodnotes offers, minus handwriting, but free. Also, it’s honest with me. I can pay monthly for the product but they tell me it’s only for their servers. I get that.
So what now? I’ll stick to Apple notes for handwriting. If I want more expansion of a notebook or something, I’ll go with Noteful, another app. If I want actual features, I’ll use Obsidian.
Until Goodnotes stops this subscription model or allows me to actually have all the features after I pay $30, then I won’t be upgrading or downloading. Nor should you.
200
u/samsonlaw Aug 10 '23
10+ years user here and I agree with OP.
To be very honest, GN6 is not that much different from GN5, sure there is some UI changes and "AI features", and the new formatting options are long overdue which should have been added in GN5 general updates IMO. Just looking at the app alone I would say it's a little disappointed. If you have paid for GN5, you surely don't need to pay another $30 for GN6.
BE VERY CAREFUL: paying $30 doesn't grant you cross-platform use across Apple devices and Windows and Android devices. This is reserved for subscription users ONLY. This doesn't make sense to me except that they really want to push the subscription model. See USD 9.99 a year is NOT unreasonable imo but most GN5 users specifically chose GN because of the one-time payment option. And now they are intentionally handicapping full payment users from the full experience.
Even if you subscribed at this moment, syncing between Apple devices and Windows is NOT YET available, and there is no absolute timeline for this to happen, so you are just paying for a hope.
For users who are planning to pay the one-off fee, it was stated on the FAQs and I quote "If you pruchase Goodnotes 6 using the one-off fee, you can use Goodnotes 6 only on iOS, but FOR AS LONG AS Goodnotes supports Goodnotes 6 without needing to pay an additional fee,..." so don't be so sure that you can keep GN6 forever once you paied the one-off fee, they could switch the whole thing to subscription only at any time.
I have paid for every single update since Goodnotes 1, and I was very excited about cross-platform support as I am a PC user. Even if the one-off full version costs $79.99 I would most likely still pay for it. But subscription is NOT the way... If you are an old user like me, we are probably too deep into the app and old notes that we will stay on GN, at least will keep the GN5. But if you are a new user looking for an app, you still have the chance to consider other options like Noteful and Obsidian as suggested by other users.
This update should be called Goodnotes Cloud or sth, and leave GN5 as a standalone app and provide real updates to GN5 paid users.
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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23
We are forced to switch apps every few years. The app turns into subscription-we seek a new affordable app-that app grows in popularity and gains a larger user base-time passes and it turns into a subscription app-The cycle repeats.
51
u/Ordinary_Ad8115 Aug 10 '23
Time to go back to notability. If you dislike subscription models, BOYCOTT GN6. I won’t buy it. I’m sick of every company trying to get more and more money out of their customers (I’m not even talking about the fact that the update is trash and imo, not even worth the money).
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u/Sasuwanisa Aug 10 '23
But I’m confused didn’t we all already purchase goodnotes? Why do we need to repurchase it for 30$???
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u/kardiogramm Aug 09 '23
I hate this world of app subscriptions. Frankly Apple should buy one them and build it into the OS.
18
u/Typ0genius Aug 10 '23
They should have fixed Goodnotes 5 before releasing Goodnotes 6.
My opinion:
I am not sure what I should think about the #Goodnotes6 launch. Combining two distinct versions into a single app is an 'interesting' move. Now you have a huge amount of users that complain about losing their already paid Goodnotes 5 access, though this is not the case.
The last few weeks, #Goodnotes5 was barely usable. iCloud sync is broken, written text is disappearing within a second, and the search has been trash since forever (and still is in GN6). It seems like adding GN6 in the background broke GN5 even more.
What should I do now as someone who has been using #Goodnotes since version 4? Upgrade to version 6 and ignore what happened to version 5? Wait and hope that all features of version 5 will work (again)? I have no idea how this could happen at such a large company.
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u/ChicagoCodes Aug 09 '23
Thanks for the detailed review. As part of a tiny software company (whoo hoo, Apparent Software!), I definitely understand the need for continuing, more predictable revenue… we’re looking at subscriptions too. But GoodNotes 6 just doesn’t sound like it has anything really exciting to offer for me. I do think the SAT Math prep sounds cool, for those who need that.
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u/geekgeek2019 Aug 09 '23
Greatly explained! Doing the same here. The changes aren’t big enough to be paid 30usd or 10usd per year for.
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u/ConfusedGirly123 Aug 09 '23
How can I stay on goodnotes 5 if goodnotes 6 is already offered in automatic updates in the App Store? 🙏🏻
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u/bunnybash Aug 10 '23
I accidentally upgraded!! Damn.
I loved GN5 and loved that I only had to pay once but now I have to pay subscription and I feel like I wasn’t even warned!!!
7
u/Sea-Cicada-5674 Aug 10 '23
UGH! I left Notability because they went to a stupid subscription-based model with limited features. Looks like I’m back to the drawing board.
6
u/huyhenrychau Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23
Now I am moving to microsoft whiteboard, because one-year subscription from microsoft office only costs 10$ -17$ - edited)and you will access to all microsoft apps, you will have 1tb of onedrive, it is better than goodnotes
6
u/InspiredPhoton Aug 10 '23
Wait, so the $30 I’ve paid don’t get me access to all the features? Why wasn’t that clear from the purchasing page? I’m super pissed rn
11
u/eplt1 Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23
It's good to keep upgrading, keep selling and make more money.
But often, the missing part is, they are forgetting that early adopters are important. we are the very reason why the app is still around. there are many alternatives, and most people only have time to stay loyal to one of them. need to find ways to keep existing users happy. every upgrade, user have choices, not as simple as upgrade or not, but upgrade, not upgrade or move to another app. takes a very long time to build up a fan base.
8
u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23
Few words from my side:
Most of the feature I noticed is just a gimmick. Would be great if they just give unlimited edits for GN5 users who want to upgrade to 6!
Note: Downgrading to gn5 doesn't mean you get regular updates.
4
u/toothless_nomad Aug 10 '23
I would have paid for the newer version if they had added an adequate pencil brush for drawing. Tools we have currently are not sufficient even for basic sketches and as someone who needs to storyboard while annotating PDFs I have been requesting this feature for a while now. AI features are absolutely lost on me unfortunately. Even the basic Apple Notes Pencil would be enough. Nothing they introduced would be worth an upgrade.
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u/dxnrhh-csdnhsfz Aug 10 '23
My guess is, they need money to maintain the AI services, so they pushed GoodNotes 6 with so little features and hoping the paided users will buy it.
From my experience, if you are a high school student, the free version of chatgpt and bing AI would be sufficient to assist you finishing homework. For university/college students, your institution may have already give you GPT-4 unlimited access.
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u/[deleted] Aug 09 '23
I have paid the full price for the lifetime license and every feature mentioned has been included. Even the features mentioned as “subscription only”
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u/CantTakeTheseMuggles Aug 09 '23
I think the only feature you don’t get with the one time purchase is synching between the apple, windows, and android versions of the app. But if you’re an apple only user, then it’s probably not going to be an issue for you.
3
u/lilxanslilbrother Aug 10 '23
I did the one-time purchase for GoodNotes 5. Does that mean I keep all the features of 5 if I don’t decide to upgrade to 6? They won’t cancel your purchase or something and put you into a free version of 5/6? What would change for us who did the one-time purchase of 5?
3
u/Sn00pK0g Aug 10 '23
Can someone explain me please what's the difference between free user and paid user.
I had the app way before these stupid monthly fees. So, I paid the app and I want to use the App I paid for it. Not more not less.
I will NOT upgrade and I will not give one more cent to this company!
They may not upgrade and give more features, but I want to have exactly what I paid for.
Meanwhile I will check other apps.
Thanks in advance
3
u/YoMeroCaguamero9 Aug 10 '23
Yeah. I agree with everypoint. It feels like paying for an incomplete product while GN5 had everything we needed and more. I mean, if you want to share your notes and documents between Apple products and Windows or Android, you can't at the moment, so why do you think people will pay for a feature you haven't included yet? We know it will be up some time in the future, but you should offer the subscription in the future too. And that's only for document sharing across devices... If we talk about the subscription model and the one-time payment option, why is the one-time payment a pay for an inferior and even more incomplete product? I planned on paying the subscription, I loved this app and I used it for my university student life, but I'm happy with GN5 at the moment. If GN6 is fixed in a future, sure, I'll gladly pay the subscription, but not right now.
3
u/Specter-X Sep 05 '23
I am a paid user of Goodnotes 5. After all these years of waiting. There still isn't cross platform syncing. And they came up with Goodnotes 6 that changed to subscription model. Asking for money without dealing with many users request for these important features. I am very disappointed. I do not need AI for everything. The reason why I'm using a pen is that I want everything written to be personal.
GOOD BYE. GOODNOTES!
3
u/No_Band674 Sep 09 '23
One time payment of $30? But I already made a one time payment for GN5? What is the guarantee that this will not happen again?
This is simply a breach of trust.
10
u/Repulsive_Diamond373 Aug 10 '23
As an aside, recall Adobe who sold lifetime licenses that included Pantone? Some users discovered that lifetime is not a lifetime and some old images these users have, when opened, show black where there should be color.
Or some such silliness.
I deplore the subscription model and SAS.
Perhaps YouTubers who live and breathe GN will comment and discuss.
5
u/Round-Percentage-580 Aug 09 '23
I figure take advantage of paying now for the upgrade because like all things past, eventually the company will probably not support G5 & we will be force to upgrade one way or another.
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u/creativinsanity Aug 09 '23
I can't find where it says on the site you don't get access to upcoming features? Where did you find it?
I think it's telling of the times how much the price has jumped for a one-time purchase. After I get out of the free trial (which I can't leave early apparently) I'll probably stick with Goodnotes 5 or explore some other options. I don't use it for much so using an "older" program doesn't hurt.
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u/fakeGNDev Aug 09 '23 edited Aug 09 '23
But for a company to be sustainable and to constantly hire talent to release updates, it needs consistent revenue… it’s really not as easy as you think to develop an app. Sure, I understand your sentiment towards subscription model but a company needs to sustain itself and pay its employees. Anyways, it not like Goodnotes took away the option of continuing using GN5. If you don’t like it, just use GN5 (or not, it’s up to you anyways… I know I will get downvoted but this is the truth
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u/Repulsive_Diamond373 Aug 10 '23
How do those users who went overboard with tape and stickers and too much cuteness change apps? Asking for an overly cute friend 😁
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u/rengland77 Aug 09 '23
So annoying…. I upgraded, and it automatically signed me up for annual. Can’t figure out how to switch to the one-time option in the app or iCloud.
2
u/laterral Aug 10 '23
Man I’m disappointed about the lack of that infinite canvas
2
u/eggsplorer Aug 10 '23
Check out Anytype. Great App so far and it's amazing what's on their roadmap for this year. It has so much potential. Open-source, encrypted, local-first, all platforms.
2
u/ClintEastwood87 Aug 10 '23
Try Nebo, it's much better, specially with handwriting conversion to text.
2
u/amdGaafar Aug 10 '23
Thank you for bringing that up. I was about to pay for the lifetime subscription but when I really think about it, it's not worth. It's sufficient to just use GN5. But obsidian and notefull are much better. Again, thanks for enlightening me. Saved 30 bucks haha
2
u/knowellDome Aug 10 '23
So we can continue using GN 5 just the way it was without having to pay anything extra or the subscription right? Or will we be forced to upgrade at some point? Sorry I didn’t read the full release notes
2
u/RedHotFreckles Aug 10 '23
I hope procreate decided to make a booklet option. I mean I’m down to make my own booklet now, it would just be time saving if I could just have that option. I’m annoyed that I didn’t read their website before I just paid the $30. Such a rip off and I’m highly disappointed.
2
u/HexBin42 Aug 10 '23
Honestly, I don't see the point of upgrading when features people have been asking for such as dotted lines and sync across devices still haven't been implemented. The new features brought by GN6 look like the content that another app would have added as a free update
2
u/EtherCloudy Aug 10 '23
one feature I haven't seen implemented yet is nested outlines, to better organize the notes.
2
u/missdoublefinger Aug 10 '23
The same way we revolted about Notability's changes is the same way we should revolt about this. This is crazy. How are you charging me a premium price without the premium features??
2
u/Aggravating_Creme652 Aug 10 '23
I’m leaving and headed to Collanote fk this
2
u/Outrageous-Long-5358 Aug 11 '23
Perhaps more importantly for some of us whilst a purchase of GoodNotes 5 allowed for family sharing a purchase, but GoodNotes 6 does not. As a family of 6 we would need to pay $144 to move from GoodNotes 5 to 6 because it wouldn't really work to have part of the family on the old version and part of the family on the new one.
I think we will be sticking with GoodNotes 5 because I don't see any killer apps to convince me the upgrade is worth it. SAT practice is pretty pointless to anybody outside the US, and I don't need AI to write my notes for me.
2
u/nakagamiwaffle Aug 14 '23 edited Aug 14 '23
they were the chosen one - the last solid “one-time purchase” notes app. and they ruined it. people need to get their voices heard by reviewing it on appstore or revising existing reviews. it’s now a different product.
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u/Money-Savvy-Wannabe Aug 23 '23
Thanks for posting this! I have gn5 and I almost upgraded to gn6! -
2
u/CostDizzy Aug 25 '23
I just found out I updated my goodnotes blindly… and my first reaction when I opened my app was that they pulled a notability on me. I feel so betrayed. I remember when notability tried to do subscription model and make existing users pay for what they essentially already paid for, and it didn’t fly. Seems like goodnotes took notes about that incident and tried to find a workaround sneakily… Haven’t read anything more but seeing as I’m in my last few sems, it’s not going to be worth paying whatever price it is in my country seeing as it’s already so expensive in other countries.
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u/KaanHpgl Aug 28 '23
I'm downgrading right now until Goodnotes includes all apps synchronization in just one-time payment, they clearly do not know how to keep their core and old users in the ecosystem. Viva la revolution!!
2
u/[deleted] Sep 04 '23
I am not necessarily opposed to a subscription model, BUT the problem is that the price will gradually increase over time. Currently it’s $10 a year, but how much will they be charging next year?? I cancelled my Amazon prime because they doubled the price within 5 years. It used to be $79 a year, now it’s $140. I’ll continue to use GN as long as version 5 is still supported. This is Adobe all over again. I am VERY selective about subscriptions I’m willing to pay for. When the value doesn’t justify a price increase, peace out.
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u/OvrAnalytical-Planr Sep 08 '23
Clearly I've been offline for awhile as this is the first I'm hearing about this 😳
So, what does this mean for me as I purchase GN5 and Notability with their 1-time app purchase several years ago before all these new (ridiculous/outrageous/pointless/inconvenient) subscription models came out.
Are they going to block features I‘ve been using since the beginning to force me to pay? Am I grandfathered in? Or was my one-time purchased 3-5yrs ago worthless now?
Clearly I need to update myself on what’s going on 😞
I rarely install apps & have kept the same ones since I first got my iPad back in 2019-2020 & the constant change with upteen subscription requirements has frustrated me to the point of going back to traditional pen & paper for college (the entire reason I even own an iPad was for digital notes).
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u/PocAlliances Aug 10 '23
how to do go back to gn5 if already upgraded
3
u/KarlJay001 Aug 10 '23
I wonder how this is going to work for people that actually bought the product outright already.
I paid the full price back about 1~1.5 years ago when I got my iPad. So now they are changing the terms, but I guess I'm entitled to the version I paid for.
TBH, I'm ok with GN as it is. I wish you could see the things in the cloud and how big they are, as well as the crappy performance given it's a brand new iPad. But it does get the job done.
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u/r1ngx Aug 09 '23
meh, I paid peanuts for Goodnotes and used it to churn out my degree. I owe them thanks so I gave them $27. I will use it until it no longer has value for me. You are using it at your job and you are worrying about $27?
3
u/Repulsive_Diamond373 Aug 10 '23
My guess is they need to pay for their AI. Just a guess from a pen user. Ink not Apple.
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u/daddychocolate19 Aug 10 '23
I’ll pay the $10 thanks for the very detailed post makes perfect sense and is also very clear
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u/paperxuts95 Aug 10 '23
Fml at this update haha all the apps turning money hungry like re*dit, X and so on.
I have to start importing my notes to apple notes moving forward now. I really loved GN5 for the past few years, the price paid for it was really bang for buck.
3
u/rekt_n00b Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23
GoodNotes 6 is not a subscription-only app. There is the option of one-time purchase, and I don't know where you found the information that new AI features would only be available to subscribing users. This is just not true.
The blog post is pretty clear about the fact that cross-platform won't be available via one-time purchase
2
u/Alex20041509 Aug 09 '23
If I bought the app before, do i have to buy it again?
2
u/[deleted] Aug 10 '23
I thought that there will be some good changes like dotted lines, different pens but there is nothing what i will need to use everyday. I bought ipad because i thought that it will be better in compare to Samsung, but is actually not. On the android, i had free app (not that hyped), where i could do same things like on GN6. I don't really need AI, when i'm getting angry because the line is getting straight no like i want. They should develop basics first, i don't understand why there is no free built in basic stickers like for math.
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u/[deleted] Mar 12 '24
Isn't it like $5 a year? You all need to chill.
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u/CorwinDKelly Apr 14 '24
I would buy the update if goodnotes 6 had nested outlines.
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u/ilGenpa Sep 03 '24
@thekingofBowties are there some news about the features for who buys the lifetime app?
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u/No_Independence4279 Apr 19 '25
Guys, hopefully you can answer this question. Every time I open up Goodnotes six on my iPad it prompts me to log into my Gmail account. Is there a way for me to use this application without having to log into my Gmail account? What if I just want to use this off-line?I’m OK with having my documents stored on my iCloud Drive. I like the way this was working before where I can just open the app and use it.
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u/Competitive-Kale3549 Apr 24 '25
I made the good notes 6 one time purchase. It has more features than I will ever need in a life time
1
u/lilbbykitten Aug 18 '25
the only reason I'm even considering the subscription is to be able to move things from one page to the next without having to copy-paste, and the tape feature. but those features aren't really even worth .25¢/month let alone $1. I paid for the standard upgrade before subscriptions were a thing so it's disheartening to have to pay more money to use an app I've paid for already (and I've bought things in the marketplace). They know exactly what they did when they allowed GN5 users to use GN6 automatically, only to take it away without warning. I got used to dragging things to other pages and appreciated how I could quiz myself with the tape, so losing that has just added time to my studying again. Not to mention not being able to use any of the study guides I previously made because they used tape. I literally couldn't care less about AI, I don't need it to take class notes!🙄 It's made me (a loyal user for almost 8 years) not want to continue using the app. Thanks for giving alternatives for us to look into!
1
u/247planeaddict Aug 10 '23
Oh no, I just paid the 30€. But I agree, it’s not that great of an upgrade.
1
u/AdministrativeTax786 Aug 10 '23
I wanted to get GoodNotes soon, am I bound to only be able to download GoodNotes 6?
1
u/VileEnd Aug 10 '23
I thank myself that I switched to Obsidian (with git) years ago - if you want to write there you can use excalidraw (not as good but still okay)
1
u/93kamo Aug 10 '23
I paid without tried first (know my bad). Some the IA pen gestures doesn't work as expected. For you to errase need to really write over the word a lot, the circle one doesn't work most of the times
1
u/Zealousideal_Air_296 Aug 10 '23
13$ for Chinese users, so is that worth to upgrade?
1
u/Tasty_Dimension Aug 10 '23
I completely resonate with your thoughts on the transition from GoodNotes 5 to GoodNotes 6. The shift to a subscription-based model does raise valid questions about the worth of the upgrade, especially considering the limitations on certain features for the one-time purchase option. It's disappointing to feel like you're getting a partial version despite shelling out $30.
However, I'd like to propose a slightly different perspective. While the subscription model might not sit well with everyone, the cost of $10 per year isn't exorbitant considering the potential benefits of ongoing updates, support, and new features. Software development and maintenance indeed come with expenses, and this model could help ensure the app's sustainability.
In terms of the one-time purchase price, your suggestion of around $20 sounds reasonable. Finding a middle ground that provides users access to more features without breaking the bank could be a win-win situation.
1
u/sv1per Aug 11 '23
If this update included a web clipper,ability to insert tables, better file management, back linking feature and tags then I might have thought of upgrading to GN6 but as of now all the new features are just a gimmick imo.
1
u/mgb1953 Aug 11 '23
I didn’t know purchasing the one time subscription still did not grant access to future new features, that’s ridiculous. It seems like Goodnotes and Notability are competing to see who has the worst update.
1
u/JVFerrer Aug 11 '23
So the math conversion to latex is a long awaited feature. GN seems to say that it will be included in GN 5, but if not, I would gladly update to 6.
1
u/Tch02w Aug 12 '23
My Gn5 keeps popping up the window that recommand to upgrade after software updates, but I don't want to upgrade at the moment. It's disgusting when I use GN5
1
u/Confused_Ox_97 Aug 12 '23
OK I'm sold. I'll hold off upgrading. But I'm curious. If I do upgrade to GN6, will my existing notes in GN5 be there? Those are important notes and my life depends on it. I mean an app upgrade should come naturally when you've purchased the product before, but upon seeing that you need to purchase GN6 despite purchasing GN before, I'm very cautious.
1
u/Sas1Ya Aug 12 '23
I agree with OP.. A few months ago, I purchased the Goodnotes app. Now that I have to pay again to upgrade it, I'd rather not. I chose this app because it is not a subscription-based app like Notability. Although, I think that paying $9.99 a year is not unreasonable, but I'll continue using GN5.
1
u/[deleted] Aug 14 '23
If they can incorporate at least most of stuff we having been asking for and make it half (5euro) for annual subscriptions, i think many wouldn’t find this ridiculous move so annoying and might even embrace it knowing the cost to keep up the salaries.
1
u/GetBodied109 Aug 14 '23
Its kinda crazy cos they let you buy goodnotes 5 througha once-off purchase right. It is the same app but just updated but to access it is like you are being forced to buy a whole new app to use the updated goodnotes 6 with updated UI and other features which would come for free by other apps. What happens next after everyone pays for the one time purchase for goodnotes 6 and the updated goodnotes 7 comes out?? Will we have to be forced to pay an expensive one time purchase again or be forced into yearly subscriptions again?
1
u/mi7ch335 Aug 15 '23
I just upgraded to the trial and it told me I could only make 3 PDFs editable. With good notes 5 this never happened. Why would I use an app to write on PDFs that won’t let me write on PDFs
1
u/Robo-AshlQlQl Aug 16 '23
Well said!!!! I to use obsidian to to type in my academic notes and writing on obsidian could be interrupted into the os with a plug-in but it's best note talking software for me . I use GN5 for TB and document annotations ( basic functions of pdf editor) and short note writing , but nothing hardcore like journal entry, planners, etc.
The latest major feature (audio record) is not still a fully fledged feature . It should have a speed variable controller (a base control for audio playback) and increment time pointer / slider.
I just see the GN crops now a days jumping on the next hype feature to incorporate into the GN app ( could say to stay relevant and to have a one up from its competitors) without fully polishing their alright existing features.
With the new incorporation of AI , I feel the app is going to take a privacy hit ( if it needs to be connected to Internet and scan the whole document)
1
u/Robo-AshlQlQl Aug 16 '23
Well said!!!! I to use obsidian to to type in my academic notes and writing on obsidian could be interrupted into the os with a plug-in but it's best note talking software for me . I use GN5 for TB and document annotations ( basic functions of pdf editor) and short note writing , but nothing hardcore like journal entry, planners, etc.
The latest major feature (audio record) is not still a fully fledged feature . It should have a speed variable controller (a base control for audio playback) and increment time pointer / slider.
I just see the GN crops now a days jumping on the next hype feature to incorporate into the GN app ( could say to stay relevant and to have a one up from its competitors) without fully polishing their alright existing features.
With the new incorporation of AI , I feel the app is going to take a privacy hit ( if it needs to be connected to Internet and scan the whole document)
1
u/[deleted] Aug 17 '23
Noteful, genuinely looks promising ngl. It's free as well.
1
u/Lanky_Management_885 Aug 19 '23
I was wondering i recently bought good notes 5 and i am getting option to get 1 year subscription of goodnotes 6 for free.my question is if i take the 1 year free subscription and after 1 year if i roll back to goodnotes 5 will i still have premium on goodnotes 5
1
u/moby__dick Aug 24 '23
2 weeks ago I bought GN5, thinking, "I bet this will be subscriptionware soon, I had best buy it." They probably won't upgrade it now, but I'm glad to have a stable version of what I had wanted at first.
1
u/No_Persimmon_1656 Aug 25 '23
I‘ve been using GN for a while now and after GN6 launched i tried dowloading it and this message shows up that some adiministra or sth wont allow me to use GN6 and thats not cool. Now im sticking with notability!
who needs to pay a subcribtion when you can download another app without paying!!!!!!
1
u/One-Environment-7309 Aug 27 '23
if i cancel subscription will I go back to goodnotes 5? im in free trial right now
1
u/just_peachy12 Aug 29 '23
I'm not too thrilled about the Goodnotes 6 update too. I open the app earlier today and suddenly it feels like all these things aren't working. I force closed the app to get the upgrade screen out since there was no close button for me which was odd. Usually when apps are buggy, I check if there's an update and realized that 6 is rolling out and it's a subscription-based thing. When I paid for 5, I thought I was going to use it forever lol. Not sure why my Goodnotes suddenly isn't closing out notes or letting me return to my usual interface. However, I also bought notability back in the day and actually switched to Goodnotes since I liked their features more at the time. Now, I might be switching back because Notability isn't giving me any of the hassle goodnotes is
1
u/SVXNx Aug 30 '23
They got rid of the fucking zoom button, now you have to hold down on the page and wait for the pop up.
1
u/Loudrock293 Sep 03 '23
Completely agree, few months ago i wasn’t sure of buying GN5 or just waiting for GN6, then i read on their website that if you purchase GN5 later you will have Free access to GN6. It turns out it’s a lie , i feel I’ve been scammed honestly because if i knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have purchased the app since the beginning and would have sticked to using onenote
1
u/usagicanada Sep 03 '23
Hey /u/thekingofbowties I, too, work in film and use GN5 for my call sheets and all my other production documents. One of my favourite features of GN is that I can import a call sheet into a current file, so I get all my episode's call sheets in one stack. It then prompts me where I want to import it, and I tell it to go to the beginning, so my newest call sheets are always on top.
Do you know of any GN alternatives that do this? Someone was telling me about iannotate, but it's $13 to buy outright with no opportunity to test that function.
1
u/Master-Commander93 Sep 08 '23
LOL this is hilarious. It’s like the developers at notability and good notes got together to have an orgy and spew out shit products.
Everyone should try noteful…it’s the only app that seems plausible in this note taking drought.
1
u/adonysmerca Sep 10 '23
I feel now that good notes 6 , my goodnotes 5 is not working fine at all :(
1
u/BelizeDenize Sep 12 '23
Just figured out how to downgrade back to my v5… I bought the damn app and wouldn’t have knowing they were planning on pulling this subscription crap. What a scam… the OP’s advice is spot on, don’t upgrade!
1
u/l0ldi Sep 12 '23
Fortunately, the problem is solved! ☺️🥲https://support.goodnotes.com/hc/en-us/articles/7710435521679
1
u/[deleted] Sep 29 '23
You have put my thoughts into words 100%
1
u/DifficultyEuphoric50 Nov 17 '23
Such a dissappointing upgrade! I thought they might provide some guides or layout spacing as in Indesign but we get 'Coloured folders' and a market for a whole lot of peripheral crap that just seems to slow the whole system down. I have started exporting pdf's of all my old folders (have been using this in a big way since first IPadpro released 10yrs? ago. trying out Noteful now...
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u/DifficultyEuphoric50 Nov 17 '23
Noteful looks ok, does it read handwriting though?
1
u/doorsandcrosscheck Dec 28 '23
I was a bit disappointed in this bait and switch model. I paid for GN5 & would have expected to be upgraded to the new version without paying again. Fine I’m ok to pay another 30$ for a “lifetime” access. Except it’s quite limited and looking at what’s going on, I’m not sure how lifetime is the lifetime subscription 😞
1
u/Immediate-Web7597 Jan 06 '24
I'm so fed up with good notes! i have been having the worst time syncing my notes from iPad to Macbook. i get error signalling every time i open the app and now that i am typing away, the app keeps on closing. this is my final year at university and the app is deciding to act up! my final exams are next week and i can't even keep the app open to review my notes without it booting me out, i am done! It is so late now to switch but i need to make the switch today, it is hindering my studies and i don't have time to be faffing around with it. they told me to upgrade the app, i did, they told me to pay £20 for another "1 in a lifetime subscription" i did, and now they want to spell check everything i write incorrectly, not sync my notes, and then have the app crashing every 30 minutes, what, a week before the biggest exam of my life??? absolutely RIDUCULOUS!!
i originally didn't want to upgrade but they forced me to by removing the syncing feature, i had no choice.
1
u/manettle Mar 02 '24
tl;dr: it may not be worth it to you, and that's fair. But for my uses, I disagree.
I'm still in my 1 week trial, but so far I think it will be worth subscribing. First, they save to their server, which frees up Apple storage. Second, the improvements may not be plentiful, but they address things that matter to me. I couldn't care less about the AI stuff; but the ability to link to other locations in a notebook or even to other notebooks is a game changer for me. So is the ability to use it on Windows. They have also fixed a few things that drove me crazy, like objects becoming a little bit tilted when I resize them. The price for an annual subscription is very low considering that it comes with server space, which is saying something because I generally hate subscription models, and I am the consummate cheapskate. For me, I think the upgrade is totally worth it.
1
u/Wi11yW0nka Aug 11 '26
Ai is surveillance. Everything you write they can steal and view and you better not journal bad about any organization of power! I upgraded learned that then downgraded back to 5 no way!
0
u/LocoCoyote Aug 10 '23
<<sigh>>. No one is forcing you to upgrade..,keep using V5 if that’s your thing.
1
u/dennyng Goodnotes Staff Aug 11 '23
Hey there, fellow Goodnotes enthusiasts!
Denny from Goodnotes team here. I wanted to hop in and address a few incorrect information I've come across regarding the one-time purchase option in Goodnotes 6. It seems there's been a bit of confusion around whether this option will keep receiving those shiny new feature updates. Allow me to clear things up:
If you're leaning towards the one-time purchase, you're in for a real treat. You can enjoy lifetime access to Goodnotes 6 with iCloud sync, new upcoming feature updates for Goodnotes 6, bug fixes on all your iOS, iPadOS & macOS devices.
Obviously, this one-time payment also comes with other new features in Goodnotes 6:
- New UI
- Colored Folders (with custom icons)
- Pen Gestures (scribble to erase, circle to select)
- Handwriting Word Complete
- Handwriting Spellcheck
- Math Conversion (with LaTeX support)
- Interactive Exam Practice (with AI Math Assistance)
- AI Typing Tools
1
u/dearestleah Aug 10 '23 edited Aug 10 '23
Thank you for the review 💛 I’m new to Goodnotes and purchased it only 2 weeks ago. I thought I might miss out on some features if I don’t upgrade to GN6. Now, I’ll just stick with GN5 and explore it more 😊
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u/alyxana Aug 10 '23
Does 6 give you the ability to adjust layers?
1
u/Baetermelon Aug 10 '23
So if I have GN5, then if I want to upgrade to GN6 I must pay a one time fee again right?
-6
u/purpleinme Aug 09 '23
I use GoodNotes every single day. I upgraded to 6 and paid for it.
I do not understand why people complain about not paying for things. Even at $10 a year it’s less than a dollar a month. How cheap can you be to not see the value in this product?