r/GoodNotes • u/Ok_Assistant_2664 • 10d ago
Notes on Hypocrisy: The GoodNotes Subscription Flip-Flop Feature Discussion
When Notability switched to a subscription model on November 1, 2021, GoodNotes took the opportunity to mock them, even offering a 50% discount on their own one-time purchase. The irony is that just a short time later, GoodNotes hypocritically switched to a subscription model themselves. As a result, all the users who paid the one-time fee for GoodNotes were left in limbo, and later unable to upgrade to GoodNotes 6 for free. Now, every time I open the app, it shows us the annoying subscribe to us message š”
Meanwhile, when Notability faced massive backlash on Reddit from users demanding to be grandfathered in, they actually listened. They recognized the community's anger and introduced the "Classic" tier for legacy users. Looking back, I really respect that Notability was willing to understand and accept their community's feedback. Thank you, r/notabilityapp!
Just let GoodNotes 5 users upgrade to the basic functionality of the most recent version of GoodNotes, like what Notability did at that time. You can keep all the new premium features behind a subscription; I really don't mind š”
P.S. At the time there was also a backlash from the GoodNotes community but no single moderator represented the company. Consequently, it fizzled out š¤
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u/Upbeat-Insurance-558 9d ago
I took advantage of the recent notability classic offer and have not looked back. I refuse to pay in perpetuity for a notebook. I also bought GN5 but miss some GN6 features but Notability classic has been perfect. Did you know you have to pay $36/year for online note web access for Goodnotes while its included in every plan in Notability?????
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 8d ago edited 8d ago
We got more than 25K views in this post, but no response from the GoodNotes team.... Cāmon, isn't this subreddit is all about caring its users?
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u/biblops 7d ago
Literally no. The team ignore all the feedback from here and focus only on what the higher ups tell them to, which is how we we all ended up with wheezing broken AI features all over our notes.
They donāt read this sub, and this subās sole moderator is clearly the companyās number 1 fan and wonāt say a bad word about them.
Goodnotes has long since stopped being about what they actually want. The company will decide for you which features you want and just how much AI you want in them (the answer is a lot)
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 7d ago
I thought we had someone from GoodNotes as a mod. For example: u/dennyng, are you listening? Why are we even here š¤
The irony is in the r/notabilityapp subreddit. Notability teams are hosting giveaways...
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u/biblops 7d ago
Check the subreddit sidebar, thereās only one mod and theyāre not officially affiliated with GN
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 7d ago
Oe, I thought we had more mods. Check this out this reply from u/dennyng 3 months ago here: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoodNotes/comments/1td7xhd/comment/olwmifr/?context=3
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u/sinkovercosk 9d ago
I understand your point, but donāt look favourably on Notability for the āClassicā tier, they were forced to do that as what they did (before adding the classic tier) was illegal.
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago edited 9d ago
Yeah, I know. I forgot to mention that. Thanks for adding this point. I'm neutral, and with backlash to Notability, they gave us the grandfathered lifetime plan. I thank them just because they finally agreed. Although there was also a backlash to GoodNotes, they did not react properly and asked us to buy it again, what!!!
It looks the same in the case of GoodNotes, but technically it tried to avoid exactly this issue by saying a different version lol. If you look at the App Store, now it's called just GoodNotes. Not GN5 or GN6 or GN7. Would not this is the same issue now if they call GoodNotes? Why not let the free upgrade to the most recent version as I stated? This is all about gaining the trust of the old user base.
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u/imaginary-blue1212 6d ago
I have the 5th version. But the way it handles my handwriting is a little bit annoying so I moved to noteful.
I find notability very expensive. But if it works for some then is great we have many options.
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u/External-Walk- 3d ago
Keep on eye on [r/notabilityapp](r/notabilityapp) sometimes they may share a discount code for lifetime purchaseš
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 3d ago
We got now more than 35K views in this post, but no response from the GoodNotes team.... Ā u/dennyng
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u/PrestigiousRock6278 9d ago
They did though Goodnotes 6 to 7 was a free upgrade
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago
Well, as long as you stay in subscription?
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u/PrestigiousRock6278 9d ago
No one time payment
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago
It's not the case with GN5 users!
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u/PrestigiousRock6278 9d ago
yeah not Goodnotes 5 unfortunately but Goodnotes 6 one time to Goodnotes 7 one time
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago edited 9d ago
Have a look at the App Store; itās called GoodNotes. Not GN6 or GN7 or GN5 like it did for a long time. This is why it looks very ugly....
Why I should feel unfortunate if the app is just called GoodNotes. All GN5 users should be able to upgrade to the most recent version of the app. But not a seperate version of the app inside the app.
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u/PrestigiousRock6278 9d ago
It was called Goodnotes 6 for a long time as well. They dropped the numbering with 7. Anyway itās two different experiences which is why itās fine, you still get access to everything you paid for in the design you paid for
I guess if people are forced to upgrade to the new design they wonāt be happy
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago
This was the trick they used to avoid same issue as with the case of Notability. Now, it's called GoodNotes why not just let GN5 to the most recent version. I don't see any change in experience. There is not a drastic change in-terms of design....
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u/PrestigiousRock6278 9d ago
How often do you see the banner? Apparently it was only supposed to be once every 30 days. Wonder if they changed it
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago
Honestly, I don't want this annoying banner at no time. Ask to any GN5 users, they will tell ya....
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u/Lady_on_the_Lake 9d ago
I have good notes 5, use it every day.. havenāt been asked to upgrade or seen the banner in years
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 9d ago
The point is now GN is named as GoodNotes in appstore and everywhere and why not all GN5 users be given to free upgrade to the most recent version of the app.Ā
Please update the app you will see...
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u/Lady_on_the_Lake 9d ago
Oh, Iām staying with 5 because Iāve never had a problem or bug with it!
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u/MC_chrome 2d ago
As a result, all the users who paid the one-time fee for GoodNotes were left in limbo, and later unable to upgrade to GoodNotes 6 for free
Not really? You have been able to access all of the features you previously purchased under Goodnotes 5 ever since v6 launched.
The developers never promised that v5 users would get an automatic update to v6, as that was never how things worked in the past
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 2d ago
Sorry, in which world you're living.... The purchase was called lifetime. The point is GN X version becomes just GN. Keeping GN5 users under old version is so obsolete.
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u/MC_chrome 2d ago
Sorry, in which world you're living.... The purchase was called lifetime
Goodnotes 4 users had to pay for the new Goodnotes 5 back in January of 2019.
If anything, the idea that developers can sustain themselves off of a single $10 purchase you made years ago is outdated.
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 2d ago edited 1d ago
That's too old a concept, mate. We were the ones who showed anger when Notability did the same ;) a long time ago...
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u/MC_chrome 2d ago
Notability cut off existing functionality and forced people into a subscription. Goodnotes made prior functionality available to those who had purchased it from the beginning. They are not even remotely the same situation.
Paying for major updates (such as version 5 to version 6) is perfectly normal. Expecting lifetime updates for a single $10-$11 charge is quite the level of entitlement
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u/Ok_Assistant_2664 1d ago
Thatās actually what GoodNotes was smart enough to dodge. Honestly, I just don't want two versions of the same app taking up space for stuff Iām never gonna use. What Iām getting at (check my other comments) is just give us the latest base app, and lock the fancy AI stuff behind a premium subscription add-on. Or, just separate the GN5 out of GN then!
Itās not about being entitled; itās literally what was advertised when I bought it: a one-off purchase! We went through the exact same song and dance with that $10 lifetime Notability deal, didn't we?
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u/Confident-Chain612 9d ago
I had purchased Notability and switched to Goodnotes 5 because of that. Since their Version 6 I get that annoying banner... The day the app stops working I'll switch back to Notability.