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GoodNotes vs SumatraPDF

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

GoodNotes icon
GoodNotes
SumatraPDF icon
SumatraPDF

GoodNotes vs SumatraPDF: The Verdict

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature GoodNotes SumatraPDF
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

SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF

Description: SumatraPDF is a free and open-source PDF, eBook, XPS, DjVu, CHM, Comic Book (CBZ and CBR) reader for Windows. It is lightweight, customizable, and supports many advanced PDF features.

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
SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF Features
  • Lightweight and fast PDF reader
  • Supports many document formats like PDF, ePub, MOBI, XPS, DjVu, CHM, CBZ, CBR
  • Customizable with themes, keyboard shortcuts
  • Tabbed document interface
  • Supports annotations and highlighting
  • Continuous scrolling
  • Supports reflowable text
  • Supports digital signatures
  • Supports comics book formats
  • Supports eBooks
  • Supports syncing open documents across devices

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
SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF
Pros
  • Lightweight and fast
  • Supports many document formats
  • Free and open source
  • Customizable
  • Good support for comics and eBooks
Cons
  • Limited annotation features compared to advanced PDF editors
  • Lacks OCR capabilities
  • No cloud storage integration
  • No mobile apps

Pricing Comparison

GoodNotes
GoodNotes
  • Not listed
SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF
  • Open Source

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