REVIEWS / NOTE TAKING / OWNER INSIGHTS
🦉 WE READ 197 OWNER COMMENTS
GoodNotes: what owners actually say
Owners loved GoodNotes 5 but feel betrayed by the shift toward re-charging for major version upgrades
What owners complain about
- Broken one-time-purchase promise COMMON
Multiple owners report paying a one-time price for GoodNotes 5, only to be asked to pay again for GoodNotes 6. They feel the original 'one-time payment' framing was misleading — 'When they advertise a one time price that should be it. Not a one time price until we decide to upgrade.'
- GoodNotes 6 update is poor quality SOME
An owner who 'paid for Goodnotes 5 without doubt' calls the GoodNotes 6 update 'a mess,' indicating the newer version introduced problems rather than improvements.
- Subscription fatigue SOME
Owners are adamant about refusing subscription models. One states they will abandon the app entirely once forced off version 5: 'The moment I can no longer use version 5 I will move to another note taking app. I refuse to use any subscription services.'
- Anticipation of repeated charges FEW
Sarcastic comments like 'I can't wait to pay them a one-time payment again for Goodnote 7' signal that owners expect the pattern of re-charging for each major version to continue indefinitely.
- Note linking was missing for years FEW
Owners expressed relief that note/page linking was 'FINALLY' added in the latest version, implying it was a long-overdue and frustrating omission.
What owners love
- GoodNotes 5 was worth every penny
Owners who purchased version 5 did so 'without doubt,' indicating the app at its peak delivered strong value that users were happy to pay for upfront.
- Note/page linking now available
The latest version finally supports linking between notes and pages, a feature owners greeted with enthusiasm.
Surprising patterns
- Owners are not just complaining about pricing — they are actively staying on an older version (GoodNotes 5) as a form of protest, treating it as their line in the sand.
- The sarcasm about 'Goodnote 7' suggests owners have already lost trust in the company's pricing model before any such version has been announced.
WHO SHOULD SKIP IT
Buyers who are opposed to paying again for each major version update or any subscription model should avoid GoodNotes 6+, as owners report the one-time purchase no longer covers future upgrades.
Synthesised from 197 real owner comments across 4 platforms. Every point is grounded in the comments — no marketing, no AI guessing. How we do it →