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GoodNotes vs PdfHighlights

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

GoodNotes icon
GoodNotes
PdfHighlights icon
PdfHighlights

GoodNotes vs PdfHighlights: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

GoodNotes: GoodNotes is a digital handwriting and note-taking app for iPad and iPhone. It allows you to take notes, annotate PDFs, sketch ideas, and organize notes into notebooks using the Apple Pencil or your finger. GoodNotes is intuitive, flexible, and great for students and professionals.

PdfHighlights: PdfHighlights is a PDF annotation and highlights extraction software. It allows users to easily extract all the highlights and annotations from PDFs to view and organize them separately.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature GoodNotes PdfHighlights
Sugggest Score — —
Category Education & Reference Office & Productivity

Product Overview

GoodNotes
GoodNotes

Description: GoodNotes is a digital handwriting and note-taking app for iPad and iPhone. It allows you to take notes, annotate PDFs, sketch ideas, and organize notes into notebooks using the Apple Pencil or your finger. GoodNotes is intuitive, flexible, and great for students and professionals.

Type: software

PdfHighlights
PdfHighlights

Description: PdfHighlights is a PDF annotation and highlights extraction software. It allows users to easily extract all the highlights and annotations from PDFs to view and organize them separately.

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

GoodNotes
GoodNotes Features
  • Handwriting and drawing with Apple Pencil
  • Annotate PDFs and documents
  • Create and organize notes into notebooks
  • Variety of pen styles and colors
  • Shape recognition
  • Zoom writing
  • Search handwritten notes
PdfHighlights
PdfHighlights Features
  • Extract highlights and annotations from PDFs
  • View all highlights/notes on one page
  • Search and filter highlights
  • Export highlights to Word, Excel, etc.
  • Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Web
  • Browser extension available
  • Support for bulk PDF processing
  • OCR to extract highlights from scanned PDFs

Pros & Cons Analysis

GoodNotes
GoodNotes

Pros

  • Natural writing and drawing experience
  • Powerful organization with notebooks
  • Ability to search handwritten notes
  • Integrates well with other Apple products and services

Cons

  • No web or Windows version
  • Less templates compared to competitors
  • Can be pricey compared to free alternatives
PdfHighlights
PdfHighlights

Pros

  • Saves time extracting highlights vs manual copy-pasting
  • Great for studying, research, collecting notes
  • Simple, easy-to-use interface
  • Works with many file types and formats
  • Free version available with decent features

Cons

  • Formatting of highlights may not be retained perfectly
  • Limited automation/customization options
  • Slow processing of large PDFs
  • No mobile app
  • Freemium model limits some features

Related Comparisons

Learn More About Each Product

GoodNotes
GoodNotes
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
PdfHighlights
PdfHighlights
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