Compare Penly vs GoodNotes
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Penly
GoodNotes
PenlyGoodNotes| Penly | GoodNotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Links | ||
| Website | Visit | Visit |
| App Store | — | Install |
| Google Play | Install | Install |
| Main | ||
| Task management | ± | ± |
| Subtasks recurring | − | — |
| Tags / labels | — | ± |
| Habit tracking | − | − |
| Notes templates | + | — |
| Calendar view | ± | ± |
| Weekly view | — | ± |
| Week at a glance | — | ± |
| Weekly templates | — | + |
| Daily planning | — | ± |
| Monthly planning | — | ± |
| Time blocking | − | − |
| Planner & calendar segregation | + | + |
| Offline mode | + | + |
| Notes | — | + |
| Templates | — | + |
| Platforms | ||
| Windows | − | + |
| Android | + | − |
| Web | − | − |
| Linux | — | − |
| MacOS | − | + |
| iOS | − | + |
| Free version | — | ± |
| Sync across devices | ± | + |
| Calendar sync | ||
| Calendar sync | − | ± |
| Integrated calendar | − | ± |
| Synchronize with Apple Calendar | − | ± |
| Synchronize with Google Calendar | − | ± |
| Synchronize with Microsoft Calendar | − | ± |
| Outlook sync | − | − |
| Interface | ||
| Themes / appearance presets | ± | + |
| Notification support | ± | — |
| Custom fonts (incl. third-party / installable) | + | — |
| Drag & drop | ± | — |
| Special features | ||
| AI assistance / AI features | − | — |
| Attachments & embedded media | ± | + |
| Add images / stickers | + | — |
| Stickers | + | — |
| Interactive checklists / checklist support | ± | ± |
| Highlighter / colored highlighting | + | — |
| Handwriting & stylus | ||
| Apple Pencil support | − | + |
| Handwriting / stylus support | + | + |
| Palm rejection | + | + |
| PDF annotation / markup | + | + |
| Handwriting to text conversion | + | + |
| Search in handwriting | ± | + |
| Special features | ||
| Audio recording | — | ± |
| Add web links | + | — |
| Privacy / encryption | — | ± |
| Projects / folders | + | + |
| Nested folders / depth | + | — |
| Search | ± | + |
| Import documents & media | + | — |
| PDF hyperlink navigation | + | — |
| Elements / reusable snippets tool | ± | — |
| Synchronize & backup | ||
| Cloud sync | ± | — |
| iCloud / Google Drive sync | ± | — |
| Auto backup | ± | — |
| Notes / tasks sharing | − | — |
| Collaboration / sharing (incl. team) | − | — |
| Export to PDF / other | ± | + |
| Profile | ||
| Calendars | ± | ± |
Penly
Pros
- One-time store purchase undercuts subscription-heavy iPad planners
- Bundled undated hyperlinked planners plus plain, dotted, lined, and grid paper
- PDF import respects existing links; you can add page and web hyperlinks
- Google Drive hook keeps libraries aligned across Android phones and tablets
- Bulk sticker import, collections, and custom fonts suit heavy decorator workflows
Cons
- Android-only distribution leaves iPad and Mac shoppers on other apps
- English-only interface today
- Google Calendar events are not a first-class sync; it stays a PDF-first workflow
- Official site warns large PDF exports can be unreliable
- Drive sync is manual or tied to open/close rather than always-on live collaboration
GoodNotes
Pros
- Handwriting recognition and layout stay approachable on day one
- Global ink search digs through messy lecture stacks
- Toolbar organization earns praise in education workflows
- PDF markup, audio, and flashcards cover the study stack
- Feature depth matches anything in the App Store class
Cons
- Subscription price changes still spark backlash threads
- Lower-cost or one-time rivals pull budget-minded students
- Sync regressions still appear right after major releases
- Local-first and markdown stacks pull minimalists away