Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GoodNotes VS tldraw

Compare GoodNotes VS tldraw and see what are their differences

GoodNotes logo GoodNotes

GoodNotes lets you take notes and annotate PDF documents.

tldraw logo tldraw

A tiny little drawing app.
  • GoodNotes Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05
Not present

GoodNotes features and specs

  • Handwriting Recognition
    GoodNotes offers OCR (Optical Character Recognition), making handwritten notes searchable and easily convertible to text.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The application features an intuitive and well-organized interface, making it easy for users to navigate and use.
  • Cross-Platform Syncing
    GoodNotes allows for seamless synchronization across multiple devices, including iOS and macOS, ensuring your notes are always up to date.
  • Variety of Paper Templates
    The app offers a wide array of paper templates and covers, allowing users to customize their notebooks according to their needs.
  • Collaboration Tools
    GoodNotes supports collaborative note-taking, allowing multiple users to work on a single document simultaneously.
  • Annotation Features
    Users can annotate PDFs, images, and other documents, making it versatile for different types of note-taking and review.

Possible disadvantages of GoodNotes

  • Platform Limitation
    GoodNotes is currently available only on iOS and macOS platforms, limiting its accessibility for users on other operating systems.
  • No Audio Recording
    Unlike some other note-taking apps, GoodNotes does not offer an audio recording feature, which could be a downside for users who like to sync notes with lectures or meetings.
  • Learning Curve
    Although the interface is user-friendly, some of the advanced features can have a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Subscription Model
    While GoodNotes offers a variety of features, it comes with a subscription cost, which may be a consideration for budget-conscious users.
  • File Size
    Notes and documents in GoodNotes can become quite large, potentially taking up substantial storage space on your device.
  • Limited Cloud Storage
    Although GoodNotes supports iCloud syncing, it does not offer integration with other popular cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox out-of-the-box.

tldraw features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    tldraw offers an intuitive and clean interface that makes it accessible for users of all skill levels, allowing them to create diagrams and drawings easily without a steep learning curve.
  • Real-Time Collaboration
    The platform supports real-time collaboration, enabling multiple users to work on the same drawing simultaneously, which is ideal for team projects and remote working environments.
  • Cross-Platform Accessibility
    tldraw is web-based, making it accessible on various devices and operating systems without needing additional installations or software.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, developers have the freedom to contribute to its development or customize the tool according to their requirements.

Possible disadvantages of tldraw

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more mature diagramming software, tldraw might lack some advanced features and functionalities that professionals might need for complex projects.
  • Performance Issues
    In some cases, users may experience performance issues or slowdowns when collaborating in real-time, especially with multiple users or larger projects.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Being a web-based application, tldraw requires a stable internet connection, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or in situations where offline work is necessary.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any collaborative online tool, there might be concerns about data privacy and security, particularly when handling sensitive information.

Analysis of GoodNotes

Overall verdict

  • GoodNotes is highly regarded among note-taking apps, particularly for iPad users who benefit from its extensive features optimized for using the Apple Pencil. While primarily designed for iOS devices, it offers a solid option for digital note-taking with its wide range of functionalities and continued updates that enhance user experience.

Why this product is good

  • GoodNotes is widely appreciated for its intuitive user interface, robust organizational tools, and advanced note-taking features. It provides users with the ability to write and sketch naturally using a stylus, as well as the capability to import, annotate, and export documents in various formats. Its synchronization across devices through iCloud allows for seamless access to notes from multiple locations, making it convenient for students, professionals, and creatives alike.

Recommended for

  • Students who want a reliable digital notebook for organizing class notes, especially those with an iPad and Apple Pencil.
  • Professionals looking for a powerful tool to manage meeting notes, planning, and document annotations.
  • Creatives who require a versatile app for sketching, brainstorming, and conceptual work.

GoodNotes videos

GoodNotes 5 Review - Best iPad Pro Note taking app?? (2019)

More videos:

  • Review - GoodNotes 5 Walkthrough | iPad
  • Review - Notability vs Goodnotes 5 - The Best iPad Note Taking App (2019) | KharmaMedic

tldraw videos

tldraw with Steve Ruiz

More videos:

  • Review - TLDRAW 2017 UCI World Cup training

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GoodNotes and tldraw)
Note Taking
86 86%
14% 14
Productivity
38 38%
62% 62
Task Management
100 100%
0% 0
Digital Whiteboard
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GoodNotes and tldraw

GoodNotes Reviews

15 Best Notability Alternatives 2022
Automatically sync your note to the cloud to ensure the updated versions are always available on your app. GoodNotes allows you to import files, take photos, scan documents, and weave them into your notes to make them more comprehensive.

tldraw Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
Tldraw is one of the most recent entries to this list. Tldraw is a โ€œtiny little drawing appโ€ offering a number of shapes to draw simple, but clear and elegant, diagrams with a hand-drawn style and convenient features such as smart arrows, snapping, and sticky notes. Thereโ€™s even a VSCode extension for it.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GoodNotes should be more popular than tldraw. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GoodNotes mentions (5)

  • Dislike recent update on speech notes regarding UI
    Add your feedback to the support thread on goodnotes.com. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Some links work, some don't
    There's a share.goodnotes.com link and others are just goodnotes.com. I could only get one notebook to have the fist link a few months ago and it works for viewing it online on Windows on any browser, the other one just takes me to a page telling me to launch the app which I can only do on Apple devices. Is there any way to get the other type of link or was it just an experiment? Source: over 4 years ago
  • Paid opportunity for USF students!
    GoodNotes App is looking for Content Creators to help us build up study materials on our new platform- GoodNotes Community. GoodNotes is a digital note taking app- check us out here. We have just launched an exciting new product within our app- a note sharing platform. We are looking for students in USF studying either STEM or Business related disciplines. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Visual productivity app?
    It sounds like you need something like GoodNotes 5 or Miro. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • Would yโ€™all be interested in a well-designed digital paper planner made specifically for folks with ADHD?
    Digital paper planners are like physical planners but you can store and write in them inside an app like Goodnotes (http://goodnotes.com) using a tablet and stylus. Source: about 5 years ago

tldraw mentions (3)

  • Perfect Freehand โ€“ Draw perfect pressure-sensitive freehand lines
    This is by Steve Ruiz of https://tldraw.com, in case anyone noticed the similarity between the two. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Startups Shouldn't Start with Figma
    1) I agree with the article's opinion 100% (my tool of choice is [0]) 2) the whole article is just 2 pages of bullet lists. Awesome! [0] https://tldraw.com/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • free-for.dev
    Tldraw.com โ€” Free open source white-boarding and diagramming tool with features such as smart arrows, snapping, sticky notes, and SVG export. Multiplayer mode for collaborative editing. Free official VS Code extension available as well. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GoodNotes and tldraw, you can also consider the following products

Evernote - Bring your life's work together in one digital workspace. Evernote is the place to collect inspirational ideas, write meaningful words, and move your important projects forward.

Excalidraw - Excalidraw is a whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them.

OneNote - Get the OneNote app for free on your tablet, phone, and computer, so you can capture your ideas and to-do lists in one place wherever you are. Or try OneNote with Office for free.

xTiles App - A web note-taking app for creative people that combines the best from text editors and whiteboards. Think, write, and organize your thoughts based on cards and tabs. Structure and enrich all of your ideas in one place.

RedNotebook - RedNotebook is a software that format, tag and search entries and add pictures, links and customizable templates, spell check notes, and export to plain text, HTML, Latex or PDF.

Miro - Join Millions of users that collaborate from all over the planet using Miro. Experience the power of the #1 visual workspace for innovation. More than 100M users and 250,000 companies are collaborating on the canvas.