Which notes app do you recommend?

[vimagreg]

Guys what's best app to read and make PDF annotations on iPad Pro?

I use my pencil a lot to this, but the app I use (EzPDF) do not see an update for more than year now, and I think I need a replacement. Love the way EzPDF works with file, I can read one page each on full screen or two at side, like a magazine (great for some photos, graphics and so on), but without updates it just isn't working very well anymore...

What app do you recommend for this?

 

[Idelgado782]

Re: Do you use your Apple Pencil or is it just collecting dust?

Guys what's best app to read and make PDF annotations on iPad Pro?

I use my pencil a lot to this, but the app I use (EzPDF) do not see an update for more than year now, and I think I need a replacement. Love the way EzPDF works with file, I can read one page each on full screen or two at side, like a magazine (great for some photos, graphics and so on), but without updates it just isn't working very well anymore...

What app do you recommend for this?

I use Notability which allows you to import your PDF and make notes/annotate. I also have PDFExpert. But in my case I used observation forms to conduct customer service interactions at work. I emailed myself a copy of the PDF, imported it to GoodNotes and then saved each observation with the employee name and uploaded to the cloud. As well as emailed copies to my boss for review. The Apple Pencil and iPad worked flawlessly in this aspect.

 

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Re: Do you use your Apple Pencil or is it just collecting dust?

I use Notability which allows you to import your PDF and make notes/annotate. I also have PDFExpert. But in my case I used observation forms to conduct customer service interactions at work. I emailed myself a copy of the PDF, imported it to GoodNotes and then saved each observation with the employee name and uploaded to the cloud. As well as emailed copies to my boss for review. The Apple Pencil and iPad worked flawlessly in this aspect.

Which do you like better, Notability or GoodNotes?

 

[Idelgado782]

Re: Do you use your Apple Pencil or is it just collecting dust?

Which do you like better, Notability or GoodNotes?

I've been using notability non stop honestly. The only thing that would make notability perfect for me is the ability to sync with OneDrive.

 

[linsiris]

Re: Do you use your Apple Pencil or is it just collecting dust?

Which do you like better, Notability or GoodNotes?

If you don't need to record voice notes, go for GoodNotes, I use both and one of the things that keeps me in Notability is that. Both are great and I use both, but for PDF annotations and such I very much prefer goodnotes. PDF expert is good (I also use it) but for annotations and many more, GoodNotes ftw. There's also a mac companion app. (That Notability and PDF expert also have)

(Nop, I'm not being paid or anything by GN people, I just have been using both for over 4 years and that's my honest opinion).

 

[linsiris]

Oh and if anyone is interested I have some templates for notability that I downloaded from their website (or a blog or something...can't remember exactly) that are nice and can be useful for a lot of people.

 

[elcee_333]

I'm a Onedrive / Office365 user and I use PDF Expert for annotation and OneNote for notetaking. OneNote is getting better and better with each update.

 

[tcuprof]

The only app I've ever used for this is iAnnotate PDF. It seems to do a pretty good job of integrating the pencil.

 

[Amamba]

Re: Do you use your Apple Pencil or is it just collecting dust?

One thing that many users don't seem to know (i only found out by pure accident) is that any PDF of your handwriting generated by GoodNotes is fully searchable. It OCRs your handwriting in the background and creates the hidden PDF alternate text layer. And it's pretty accurate - I have very crappy handwriting (and use cursive) yet I'd say I get over 90% reliability with GoodNotes.

I have GoodNotes set up to automatically back up all notebooks to Google Drive as PDF. When I write something down, I don't have to export it manually, I can later search for that text in Google Drive and it will bring up the correct note. Which makes it work almost like Onenote / Evernote.

I also find GoodNotes to be easier to annotate PDFs from Google Drive or any other cloud storage when using "open in". It immediately opens the PDF in GN, while if sending to Notability, you have to manually switch to application.

Now disadvantages...

A big disadvantage (from my perspective) vs Notability is that GN uses notebooks, rather than individual notes. And it takes a few steps to create a new notebook. So, I have to either keep unrelated notes in one notebook until I have a chance to manually organize individual notes into individual PDFs, or (if I keep erasing and reusing the same page for the new notes) I have to manually export these PDFs unless I want the autobackup over- written by a new version of the note. I contacted the developers and they replied that this will be fixed in a new version that's almost ready for beta trial.

Notability has text synchronized with audio. GN doesn't.

Notability can be used in iOS Share menu. GN, for some strange reason, doesn't. This means I can clip an entire web page using Notability, although the hyperlinks will be gone.

Notability has a much better text tool.

So,

- for handwriting, GoodNotes wins hands down. Fairly accurate searchable handwriting is hard to beat.

- for typed text, audio notes with text, or web clipping, Notability is better.

I was lucky enough that I have both (both GN and got Notablity for free when they had a special). I use both, having both auto backup PDF of my notes to the same directory. If I only had to pick one, it would be tough, but I think I'd go with GoodNotes - for a simple fact that all of Notability's functionality can be obtained via other apps.

 

[itsnotmeitsyou]

PDF Expert by Readdle is by far the best, IMO. I have tried a lot of them. They just updated it, so you can now have full control over PDF files. You can edit the original text, mark up, sign, add passwords, etc.

 

[martint235]

In IOS11 you’ll be able to annotate pdf files natively. I’ve just given it a go on my iPP. I believe the handwritten notes are also searchable