# NoteBuddy vs Element Note

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Element Note at 68% against NoteBuddy's 22%. Element Note also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). NoteBuddy's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NoteBuddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of NoteBuddy's written reviews are positive against 68% of Element Note's.

NoteBuddy ships an update every 3 months, Element Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NoteBuddy | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews | **68.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Mueller](https://appshunter.io/developer/367875607) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### NoteBuddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebuddy-your-notes-buddy/id1453991185)

This note-taking application offers a comprehensive suite of tools for organizing thoughts and ideas. It supports rich text formatting, image insertion, and freehand drawing. Features like folder organization and iCloud synchronization ensure your notes are accessible and secure.

**Highlights:** Rich text editing, Add images and drawings, Folder and subfolder support, iCloud synchronization, Backup feature, Apple Pencil support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoteBuddy Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### 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 NoteBuddy free?

NoteBuddy 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, NoteBuddy or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. NoteBuddy averages 3.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do NoteBuddy or Element Note have ads?

Neither NoteBuddy nor Element Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NoteBuddy or Element Note?

NoteBuddy ships an update every 3 months, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, NoteBuddy was updated on August 17, 2026 and Element Note on September 24, 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.*