Goodnotes vs Obsidian:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Goodnotes had more branded searches than Obsidian among note taking apps worldwide. Goodnotes had about 673,000 branded searches, while Obsidian had 227,000. Goodnotes made up 14.4% of all note taking app searches we track, and Obsidian accounted for 4.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about note taking apps, Obsidian appeared in three of the five answers and Goodnotes in two. Obsidian was mentioned before Goodnotes in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Goodnotes, about 3 searches for every 1 for Obsidian
Who does AI mention more?
Obsidian, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Goodnotes in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Obsidian, named ahead of Goodnotes in 3 of 4 answers
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Top note taking apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Obsidian was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Goodnotes was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Obsidian was listed before Goodnotes in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
OneNote1st
Notion2nd
Apple Notes3rd- Obsidian4th
Google Keep5th- Goodnotes6th
Evernote7th
Bear–
Roam Research–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- OneNote4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Notion4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Google Keep3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Obsidian3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Apple Notes3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Goodnotes2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Evernote2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bear0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Roam Research0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about note taking apps
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which note taking app should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best note taking apps?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best note taking app for class notes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note taking app”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“note app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Goodnotes or Obsidian more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Goodnotes and Obsidian by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine note taking apps we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Goodnotes, Obsidian. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | OneNote | Google Keep | Goodnotes | Evernote | Obsidian | Notion | Apple Notes | Bear | Roam Research |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.7% | 32.5% | 11.9% | 8% | 3.4% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.29% | 0.21% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.3% | 36.3% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.32% | 0.24% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.2% | 38.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.41% | 0.31% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.3% | 35.3% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.38% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 37.5% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.33% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 33% | 40.6% | 10% | 8.1% | 2.9% | 3% | 2% | 0.29% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.8% | 41.6% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.55% | 0.34% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.4% | 39.6% | 9.8% | 8% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 2% | 0.35% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.9% | 39.2% | 11.8% | 6.4% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.63% | 0.32% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 32.1% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 4.8% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.19% | 0.09% |
How has the Goodnotes and Obsidian comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Goodnotes was ahead of Obsidian in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Goodnotes’ share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 11.9% to 14.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 673K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Obsidian’s share of searches among note taking apps worldwide moved from 3.4% to 4.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 155K to 227K.
How did search popularity change for note taking apps worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Goodnotes gained share of searches among note taking apps worldwide, from 11.8% to 14.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Obsidian worldwide rose 46.6% over 12 measured months, from 155K to 227K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Goodnotes’ and Obsidian’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among note taking apps
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