# Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader vs Element Note

The clearest difference is ads: Element Note at none against Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's shown. Element Note also leads on ratings volume (2.6K vs 403) and review sentiment (68% vs 59%). Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader sells 13 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 403, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 68% of Element Note's.

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader ships an update weekly, Element Note fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (403 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flexcil-note-and-good-pdf-reader/id1531466462/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 403 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 59.2% of reviews | **68.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 227 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Flexcil Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1090873688) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flexcil-note-and-good-pdf-reader/id1531466462)

This app is a comprehensive note-taking and PDF reader designed for Apple devices. It allows users to edit PDFs, annotate documents, create bullet journals, and record audio, all while offering intuitive gesture controls and seamless integration with cloud services.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF pages, Annotate documents with gestures, Record and playback audio, Create bullet journals, Cloud sync across devices, Masking pen for precise annotations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade product for old users | Free | one-time |
| Premium | $8.99 | one-time |
| Flexcil Standard | $9.99 | one-time |
| 2021-2022 Color Planner | $11.99 | one-time |
| Flexcil NEW Design Planner 22 | $11.99 | one-time |
| Premium & Toolbar Skin Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Hello Kitty Planner 2022 | $13.99 | one-time |
| My Melody & Kuromi Planner 22 | $13.99 | one-time |
| Standard & 21-22 Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Standard & Design Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| Standard & 2023 Planner Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 2026 Ultimate Planner(Dated) : Pro | $15.49 | one-time |
| Nelna 6-in-1 Planner Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best Apps for STUDENTS!!! 😀😀
- 👍 Love this app
- 🚀 Powerful multi-page PDF viewer
- 👍 Great for studying
- 👍 Excellent app for note taking

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
- 🐛 Syncing and backup problems
- 🐛 Buggy handwriting recognition
- 🐛 Unreliable palm rejection
- 🐛 Missing key features from previous version

**Reported bugs**

- Sudden data loss and file deletion
- Inability to restore purchases
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent behavior of undo/redo functions
- Annotations not exporting correctly

**Requested features**

- Add iCloud sync and backup
- Improve handwriting search and recognition
- Bring back reading mode and one-page scrolling
- Add more pen and brush options
- Allow customizing notebook paper styles


### 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 Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader free?

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader 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, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 403 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Element Note have ads?

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader shows ads; Element Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader or Element Note?

Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader ships an update weekly, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Flexcil Note & Good PDF Reader was updated on September 30, 2026 and Element Note on September 30, 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.*