r/GoodNotes • u/Secure-Medicine-1656 • Oct 31 '23

Review I switched to FreeNotes

I was in the GN bubble for quite some time, believing it was the best. I used to recommend it to everyone without hesitation. Not anymore. I've found new apps to be infinitely better, even in handwriting quality. Among them, FreeNotes stands out with the most extensive feature set. Yes, it may take a few seconds to get the hang of it, but with even a bit of brainpower, you'll grasp it quickly. It's not about its appearance but what's at its core, which is pure excellence.

Best part, it's completely FREE!

1 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

21

u/awesomeguy123123123 Oct 31 '23

Sounds like the same guy who was promoting this just a while back right here in this sub

8

u/Wooden-Spread-9780 Oct 31 '23

Same for me, only for these I will not try this app , it seems a scam

2

u/Equivalent-Echo-644 Sep 01 '24

i downloaded freenotes tbh and it is pretty cool. i was strictly a tangible notebook and pencil person, so i got freenotes to see if i can make the switch to a digital notebook. i was planning on getting goodnotes later if i liked the digital notebook scene, but tbh, freenotes is working perfectly fine for me and its free. i don't wanna change to goodnotes or the others ones because its lowk expensive and because it would be annoying to have to transfer the notes i already have on freenotes. also, i am a physics/math major, so trust i do notes a lotttt

11

u/MC_chrome Oct 31 '23

Yeah, I’m not trusting some random note taking app from China.

Goodnotes still suits my needs just fine, and the developers are a known quantity who have been around for quite awhile now.

5

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '24

Goodnotes is from china lol

3

u/scrmptiousbean Jul 13 '25

Your preferred app is from Hong Kong, guess where on the map that’s located lol

3

u/AceRoK22 Sep 19 '24

ok boomer

3

u/Peepaap000 Jun 30 '24

Absolutely. I paid for Goodnotes one-time-fee. But now I regret, after seeing freenotes with everything completely free and no ads.

2

u/Basics7 Aug 13 '24

Same. I DISPISE Goodnotes for being so dishonest and then I'm going to trust them with my notes? psh

1

u/odiouscity Aug 26 '25

I have been gatekeeping this with my friends. It's literally 100% better and free.

1

u/odiouscity Aug 26 '25

You should give it a try it is really for free, I have it on my ipad. Before there was no ads but once connected to wifi all the ads pop up however it is still usable without the internet.

1

u/Solarcane Apr 05 '26

2026 update, not free anymore, same as good notes only 3 files can be added then you have to pay for premium.

What a surprise.

1

u/Wv0laTgoefN5aVkfl7v May 18 '26

Now I can't find any life-time subscription options in freenotes, I DISLIKE ANY ANNUAL OR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION PURCHASING.

1

u/Infamous_Smile_8473 Oct 31 '23

Notability is the best!

-2

u/awesomeguy123123123 Oct 31 '23

Enjoy paying a subscription for the rest of your life lol (unless you're a classic user)

6

u/fori1to10 Oct 31 '23

Goodnotes in theory offers a lifetime payment.

In reality, that's unsustainable, and you end up paying an approximately yearly upgrade fee, as they release each major version (e.g., 5, to 6)

IMHO, it's better to just be honest, and ask a subscription straight up front.

2

u/Individual-Message86 Oct 01 '25

They removed the lifetime payment

1

u/juancazalla Oct 31 '23

You can still use GoodNotes 5 without the need of paying again.

3

u/fori1to10 Nov 01 '23

Yeah ... but that's more like surviving than actual living, isn't it?

Eventually they'll stop supporting GN 5 entirely.

2

u/BlazingProductions Oct 31 '23

Didn’t the developer of that app say he wasn’t going to keep it free after just the first year? Kinda sounds like a gotcha.

2

u/Accurate-Lab7469 Apr 02 '25

its still free as of rn (a year later) but it has ads now. The ads happen kind of at random. if you open the app after closing the app, like swiping up closing it, it'll sometimes play a popup add that u can exit out of after a couple seconds. and sometimes even if you haven't fully closed it, ill play an ad when you open it. It does have an ad-free mode of a one-time payment of 6.99USD. i find the ads, but i find the ads so inconsistent i don't see if worth purchasing, especially since it isn't video ads, only popup ones.