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Collanote VS. Goodnotes

I’m a huge fan of Goodnotes but wanted to look for something more for my middle school students and free.

I found Collanote and it looks super cute!

Can anyone tell me if they have a preference and why?

#digitalplanner #digitalnotebook #goodnotesplanner #collanote #notetaking

2025/2/18 Edited to

Okay, so like many of you, I'm absolutely hooked on Goodnotes for all my digital notetaking needs. It’s been my go-to for ages! But lately, I've been on a mission – finding a truly fantastic, free alternative, especially with my middle school students in mind. Quality tools shouldn't always come with a price tag, right? That's when I stumbled upon Collanote, and wow, it immediately caught my eye with its super cute interface and promise of being free. Now, the big question is: can Collanote really stand up to Goodnotes? I've been diving deep into its features, and here's what I've found so far. First off, the price tag is a massive win for Collanote – it’s completely free, which is perfect for students or anyone on a budget. Goodnotes, while excellent, does require a one-time purchase. When it comes to the core notetaking experience, both apps offer a smooth writing experience. Collanote’s handwriting tools feel natural, and I've seen some impressive examples of its pen and highlighter features. For those of us who love annotating documents, Collanote handles PDF annotation really well, even with an Apple Pencil. It’s great for marking up textbooks or worksheets, which is a huge plus for educational settings. The PDF markup tools are intuitive, letting you highlight, draw, and add notes directly. One area where Collanote shines, and something I saw in its 'Digital Planner Library,' is its robust support for digital planning. I noticed options for '2025 New Year Planner' and different layouts like 'monthly, weekly, yearly.' This makes it a fantastic option if you're looking for an all-in-one digital notebook and planner solution without extra costs. The interface of Collanote, particularly on an iPad, feels quite user-friendly. It’s designed to be approachable, which is ideal for younger students. Plus, it has features like flashcards and chat rooms, which could be really engaging for collaborative learning or studying. I also saw mention of collaborative features, which Goodnotes has, but having it free on Collanote is a game-changer for group projects. Imagine classmates working on the same notes or planner in real-time! While Goodnotes has its classic, reliable feel, Collanote brings some fresh, innovative aspects to the table, like a potential AI calculator feature and a dark mode option for late-night studying. Importing PDFs is straightforward in both, but Collanote really makes an effort to be a comprehensive, free tool. Ultimately, if you're like me and searching for a free, feature-rich digital notetaking and planning app that can handle everything from detailed PDF annotation to collaborative projects, Collanote is definitely worth exploring. It might just be the perfect Goodnotes alternative, especially for students. What are your thoughts? Have you tried both? I'd love to hear your experiences!

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Shae

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