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GoodNotes vs Preview

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

GoodNotes icon
GoodNotes
Preview icon
Preview

GoodNotes vs Preview: 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.

Preview: Preview is a free and open-source document viewer application for macOS. It allows quick viewing of multiple file formats including images, PDFs, Markdown files, Office documents, and more. Preview has basic editing capabilities and annotation tools for PDFs.

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 Preview
Sugggest Score — —
Category Education & Reference Office & Productivity
Pricing — Open Source

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

Preview
Preview

Description: Preview is a free and open-source document viewer application for macOS. It allows quick viewing of multiple file formats including images, PDFs, Markdown files, Office documents, and more. Preview has basic editing capabilities and annotation tools for PDFs.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

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
Preview
Preview Features
  • View PDFs, images, text files and more
  • Annotate PDFs with shapes, text boxes, signatures
  • Basic image editing tools
  • Fill out and sign PDF forms
  • Combine PDFs and export as PDF or other formats
  • Tabbed interface to view multiple files
  • Quick Look support to preview files
  • Built-in screen capture tool

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
Preview
Preview
Pros
  • Free and included with macOS
  • Fast and lightweight
  • Supports many common file formats
  • Useful annotation and editing tools
  • Easy to use interface
Cons
  • Limited functionality compared to paid alternatives
  • Lacks advanced PDF editing features
  • No OCR for scanning text in images
  • No collaboration tools

Pricing Comparison

GoodNotes
GoodNotes
  • Not listed
Preview
Preview
  • Open Source

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Learn More About Each Product

GoodNotes
GoodNotes
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
Preview
Preview
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

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