UPDF VS GoodNotes

Compare UPDF VS GoodNotes and see what are their differences

Rating: 0 reviews
Pricing: Freemium Free trial $49.99 / Annually (All platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.)

Rating: 0 reviews

EatAWhale

A habit and interest tracker for everything you care about. Set your own cadence, daily to monthly, and streaks follow your schedule. Buy once for $21, no subscription. sponsored

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

UPDF might be a bit more popular than GoodNotes. We know about 6 links to it since March 2021 and only 5 links to GoodNotes.

social mentions: 6 vs 5
PDF Tools popularity: 100% vs 0%
alternatives listed: 164 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

	UPDF	GoodNotes
Website	updf.com	goodnotes.com
Pricing	Freemium Free trial $49.99 / Annually (All platforms including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android.) Official pricing	—
Platforms	Windows Mac OSX iOS Android +1	—
Company	2022	—
Listed in	PDF PDF Tools PDF Readers And Editors PDF Editor PDF Reader AI Asistant AI Agents +4	Note Taking Task Management Todos Project Management +1

About UPDF and GoodNotes

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

UPDF

GoodNotes

UPDF is a free AI-powered, all-in-one PDF editor designed to provide a faster, more intuitive experience than Adobe Acrobat for users worldwide. Beyond its ability to edit text, images, and tables with Word-like precision, its standout AI assistant can instantly summarize, translate, explain, and...

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

UPDF 5 features

GoodNotes 6 features

User-Friendly Interface
UPDF is designed with a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users of all skill levels to navigate and use the software effectively.
Comprehensive PDF Tools
The software offers a wide range of PDF editing tools, including text editing, annotation, conversion, and more, providing users with all essential functionalities for handling PDFs.
Platform Compatibility
UPDF is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, allowing for versatility and ease of access across different devices.
Affordable Pricing
UPDF is positioned as a cost-effective solution compared to some other premium PDF software, making it accessible for a wider audience.
Set of Annotations Tools
UPDF offers a comprehensive set of annotation tools enabling users to highlight, comment, and draw directly on PDFs, which is great for collaboration and feedback.

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

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.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

UPDF

GoodNotes

No analysis of UPDF yet.

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.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

UPDF 3 videos + Add

GoodNotes 3 videos + Add

The Total Workflow: How I Fully Digest a Complex Chinese Article (From Start to Finish)

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100

UPDF

GoodNotes

100% 100%

0% 0%

100% 100%

0% 0%

100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing UPDF and GoodNotes.

What makes your product unique?

UPDF's answer

UPDF stands out through its perfect fusion of AI-driven intelligence and aesthetic minimalism.

Deep AI Integration: Unlike traditional editors, UPDF embeds a powerful AI assistant directly into the workflow, allowing users to summarize, translate, explain, and brainstorm with their PDFs in real-time.

Design Aesthetics: It breaks away from the cluttered, "legacy" feel of software like Adobe, offering a sleek, intuitive UI that feels more like a modern design tool than a boring office application.

High-Performance Engine: It is built for speed. Even with 1,000-page high-resolution documents (like medical textbooks or technical whitepapers), the rendering is lightning-fast and lag-free.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

UPDF's answer

Users choose UPDF over Adobe Acrobat or other rivals for several key competitive advantages:

One License for All Platforms: A single subscription allows you to use UPDF on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android simultaneously. You don't have to pay for each device separately.

Unbeatable Value: It offers a richer feature set—including advanced AI, pro-grade OCR, and creative annotation tools—at a significantly lower price point than its competitors.

Advanced OCR Technology: Its high-precision OCR can turn blurry, non-searchable scans (like old invoices or handwritten research notes) into fully editable digital text with incredible accuracy.

Agile Development: The product iterates rapidly, frequently pushing new AI features and design updates to ensure users always have the cutting edge of productivity tech.

User comments

Share your experience with using UPDF and GoodNotes. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

UPDF no reviews yet

GoodNotes no reviews yet

Top 10 Free eBOOK Readers for PC
updf.com · May 2022

UPDF is a state-of-the-art PDF reader for PC that can help you get your reading progress on track. The tool provides robust features to boost your productivity for managing your eBooks in real-time. With its...

15 Best Notability Alternatives 2022
rigorousthemes.com · May 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...

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

UPDF 6 mentions

GoodNotes 5 mentions

Pdf Viewer
I recently bumped into Updf for Windows after adobe acrobat reader constantly took time to open the file. I really liked their interface and how minimalistic & fast it opens the file. Source: over 3 years ago
Is there a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat?
No. CutePDF Pro is paid. One-time, not a stupid subscription. Works well, but doesn't do OCR. UPDF is also a paid one, again, one-time and not a stupid subscription, and cross-platform too. It does support OCR. Source: over 3 years ago
A Delightful and attractive PDF Editor - UPDF
Found a delightful and easy-to-use PDF editor for Mac called UPDF. Source: almost 4 years ago

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... Source: almost 5 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... Source: almost 5 years ago

Alternatives to UPDF and GoodNotes

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

ChatPDF
Chat with any PDF! Join millions of students, researchers and professionals to instantly answer questions and understand research with AI

Compare ChatPDF to UPDF or GoodNotes:

ChatPDF vs UPDF ChatPDF vs GoodNotes
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.

Compare Evernote to UPDF or GoodNotes:

Evernote vs UPDF Evernote vs GoodNotes
Adobe Acrobat DC
Make your job easier with Adobe Acrobat DC, the trusted PDF creator. Use Acrobat to convert, edit and sign PDF files at your desk or on the go.

Compare Adobe Acrobat DC to UPDF or GoodNotes:

Adobe Acrobat DC vs UPDF Adobe Acrobat DC vs GoodNotes
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.

Compare OneNote to UPDF or GoodNotes:

OneNote vs UPDF OneNote vs GoodNotes
PDFgear
PDFgear is an all-in-one and powerful PDF toolkit that allows you to edit, convert, compress, merge&slipt, sign, OCR, and AI chat pdf. The interface is polished and easy to use, with the assistance of AI, you can summarize lengthy PDF with prompts.

Compare PDFgear to UPDF or GoodNotes:

PDFgear vs UPDF PDFgear vs GoodNotes
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.

Compare RedNotebook to UPDF or GoodNotes:

RedNotebook vs UPDF RedNotebook vs GoodNotes