Simple Memo vs GoodNotes
Which Should You Choose?

What is GoodNotes?

GoodNotes is a handwriting note app optimized for iPad with Apple Pencil. It features handwriting recognition, PDF annotation, notebook management, and search. GoodNotes 6 offers a subscription ($11.99/year) or one-time purchase ($29.99). The free version allows up to 3 notebooks. It's especially popular among students and educators.

The Fundamental Divide: Handwriting vs Text Input

GoodNotes shines with its natural handwriting experience powered by Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity. You can adjust pen thickness down to 0.1mm increments and switch between three pen tools: highlighter, ballpoint, and fountain pen. Its OCR (optical character recognition) for handwriting is impressive, making handwritten text searchable. However, all these features shine on iPad + Apple Pencil. On iPhone, you are reduced to finger-writing on a small screen, which is far from practical. When you need to jot something down while holding your phone one-handed on a commuter train, Simple Memo's keyboard-based input is dramatically faster and more accurate.

GoodNotes 6's subscription model is worth considering. GoodNotes 5 was a one-time purchase, but GoodNotes 6 introduced a $11.99/year subscription, drawing criticism from some users. The free version limits you to 3 notebooks, so serious use requires a paid plan. Its PDF import and annotation features are popular with students and researchers, but they are overkill for the simple need of "jotting down a thought right now." Simple Memo has no note count limit on its free plan (just 3 sends/day), and reliably saves your text as email.

From a workflow perspective, GoodNotes and Simple Memo are complementary rather than competitive. Use GoodNotes on iPad for lecture notes and hand-drawn diagrams, and Simple Memo on iPhone for capturing thoughts while out and about. Handwriting and text are fundamentally different input modalities, and no single app can perfectly cover both needs.

Comparison Table: Simple Memo vs GoodNotes

3 Differences Between Handwriting and Text

• 1Input: Apple Pencil Handwriting vs iPhone Keyboard
  GoodNotes is optimized for iPad + Apple Pencil handwriting with pressure sensitivity and three pen tools. But on iPhone, you are reduced to finger-writing on a small screen. Simple Memo is optimized for iPhone keyboard input, launching in 0.4 seconds for immediate typing. For one-handed memos on the go, text input is dramatically faster.
• 2Best Device: iPad vs iPhone
  GoodNotes shines on iPad's large screen for lecture notes and diagrams. But it is impractical for jotting memos while holding an iPhone on a commuter train. Simple Memo is fully iPhone-optimized — pull from pocket, type in 0.4 seconds, and send with one tap.
• 3Memo Delivery: Direct Email vs PDF Export
  Simple Memo sends with one tap via background email. Sending GoodNotes content by email requires PDF export, opening Mail, attaching, and sending — multiple steps. For text memo recording and sharing, Simple Memo is overwhelmingly simpler.

Handwriting vs Text: Which Is Actually Faster?

GoodNotes users often feel that handwriting aids memory retention, and this is true in the context of note-taking during lectures or reading. But for capturing fleeting ideas, the situation is different. Imagine recording an idea while commuting: pull out the Apple Pencil, unlock the iPad, launch GoodNotes, select a notebook, and write by hand. This sequence takes at least 15-20 seconds. With Simple Memo, pull the iPhone from your pocket, start typing in 0.4 seconds, and send in 5 seconds total.

Equally important is that handwritten memos have searchability limitations. GoodNotes' handwriting recognition is excellent, but accuracy drops with hasty scribbles and abbreviations. Text memos sent via Simple Memo are found with 100% accuracy through email full-text search. When looking for a memo from three months ago, scrolling through handwritten notebooks versus keyword-searching email -- the latter is overwhelmingly faster.

The ideal approach is to choose based on the memo's purpose. For lecture notes, diagrams, equations, and idea sketches where visual structure matters, GoodNotes with Apple Pencil is unbeatable. For shopping lists, meeting action items, sudden inspirations, phone numbers, and URLs -- text information that needs instant capture -- Simple Memo is optimal. Handwriting and text are not competitors but optimal solutions for different use cases.

Who Should Choose Which?

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