# Sticky Notes + Widget Memo vs Element Note

The clearest difference is rating: Element Note at 4.6 against Sticky Notes + Widget Memo's 2.9. Element Note also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 48%) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 69). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sticky Notes + Widget Memo sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Element Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Element Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 69, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Sticky Notes + Widget Memo's written reviews are positive against 69% of Element Note's.

Sticky Notes + Widget Memo ships an update every 3 weeks, Element Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sticky Notes + Widget Memo | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-plus-widget-memo/id1140487495/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 69 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 47.9% of reviews | **68.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alina Vetrov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1140487494) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Sticky Notes + Widget Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sticky-notes-plus-widget-memo/id1140487495)

Organize your thoughts with customizable stickies and widgets.  Create typed or handwritten notes, organize them with colored folders, and set reminders. Sync across devices and protect your data with password locks.

**Highlights:** Customizable home screen widgets, Colored folders and sub-folders, Handwritten and typed notes, Note sharing, Password protection, iCloud sync and backup, Customizable backgrounds and icons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| School Theme Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Outdoors Theme Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pen Tool Extension | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fonts Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Creepy Theme Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| iCloud Sync | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sticky Notes Pro | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for organization
- 🚀 Convenient widget
- 🚀 Variety of note styles
- 👍 Simple and intuitive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues
- 💰 Paid features required
- 🐛 Handwriting recognition problems
- 🐛 Notes disappearing
- 🐛 Laggy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Widgets not loading properly
- Handwriting not registering correctly
- Notes not saving or syncing
- Overlapping text and drawings

**Requested features**

- Add reminders and calendar integration
- Allow more customization of notes (fonts, colors, layouts)
- Improve widget functionality and customization
- Add ability to insert images and files
- Implement better organization tools (folders, tags, etc.)


### Element Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673)

This app offers a distraction-free digital notebook experience with advanced handwriting, PDF annotation, and sketching capabilities. It features unique brushes, a powerful rendering engine, and smart organization tools. Sync your notes across devices and collaborate with others seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Unique handwriting brushes, Smooth drawing engine, PDF annotation, Text, shape, and image attachments, On-device OCR search, Smart dark mode, iCloud sync and collaboration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Element Note Yearly | $3.49 | per year |
| Element Note Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Launch Special | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth handwriting experience
- 💡 Customizable pens and colors
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Gradient and gradient brush tools
- 📚 Great for journaling and note-taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Search function not working
- 🖼️ Issues with image handling and export
- 🔀 Difficulty switching between pen and eraser
- 🔑 Lack of password/locking feature for notes

**Reported bugs**

- Notes and files randomly disappearing
- Inconsistent behavior when using the floating keyboard
- Handwriting recognition not working as expected
- Exported PDFs losing formatting and background colors

**Requested features**

- Ruler tool
- Ability to resize/rotate selections
- Improved text editing and formatting
- Presentation mode for connecting to displays
- Ability to import/export multiple files at once


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sticky Notes + Widget Memo free?

Sticky Notes + Widget Memo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Element Note free?

Element Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sticky Notes + Widget Memo or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. Sticky Notes + Widget Memo averages 2.9 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Sticky Notes + Widget Memo or Element Note have ads?

Neither Sticky Notes + Widget Memo nor Element Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sticky Notes + Widget Memo or Element Note?

Sticky Notes + Widget Memo ships an update every 3 weeks, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Sticky Notes + Widget Memo was updated on October 8, 2026 and Element Note on October 13, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*