# Pocket Note vs Element Note

The clearest difference is ads: Element Note at none against Pocket Note's shown. Element Note also leads on review sentiment (68% vs 33%) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 14). Pocket Note's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Note 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Pocket Note's written reviews are positive against 68% of Element Note's.

Pocket Note ships an update every 2 months, Element Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 13, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Note | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **68.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 25 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819)

Transform your device into a powerful business notepad. Quickly capture ideas with handwriting, typing, and rich media. Organize notes into groups and export them as images or PDFs for easy sharing and printing.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and typed input, Customizable pen sizes and colors, Paste photos and maps, Insert figures and lines, Export as image or PDF, Organize notes into groups, iCloud synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Note License | $3.99 | 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 Pocket Note free?

Pocket Note 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, Pocket Note or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. Pocket Note averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Pocket Note or Element Note have ads?

Pocket Note shows ads; Element Note does not.

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

Pocket Note ships an update every 2 months, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Pocket Note was updated on August 13, 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.*