# CollaNote vs Element Note

The clearest difference is ratings volume: CollaNote at 14K against Element Note's 2.6K. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CollaNote sells 4 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for CollaNote against 4.6 for Element Note. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CollaNote has 14K ratings behind it against 2.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of CollaNote's written reviews are positive against 68% of Element Note's.

CollaNote ships an update every 11 days, Element Note fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CollaNote | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 2.6K |
| Positive reviews | **70.3% of reviews** | 68.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 209 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zauberberg Lab Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693142923) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### CollaNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268)

This app offers a comprehensive note-taking experience with advanced tools for digital planning, PDF markup, and flashcard creation. It features a wide array of pens, handwriting stabilization, and AI-powered assistance for enhanced productivity and creativity. Organize, secure, and share your notes seamlessly across devices.

**Highlights:** 25+ pens and brushes, PDF, PPT, DOC markup, Flashcard creation, Translation tool, Audio recording, AI-powered tools, Real-time collaboration

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Premium Loyal Users | $6.95 | one-time |
| Premium: Time Limited Sale | $6.95 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Welcome Offer | $9.69 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $13.90 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Very good writing app
- 🚀 Great app and easy to navigate
- 🚀 Excellent note taking app
- 👍 Amazing free note taking app
- 👍 Fantastic for teaching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitching, crashing, and issues with writing tools
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and bugs
- 🐛 Issues with PDF annotations and exports
- 🐛 Problems with organization and navigation
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- Pen and eraser issues after updates
- Freezing and crashing when deleting or moving notes
- Inconsistent behavior of favorite pen settings
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Login screen freezes

**Requested features**

- Add landscape mode support
- Improve text editing and formatting
- Enhance organization with nested folders
- Implement better backup and sync options
- Add more pen/pencil customization


### 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 CollaNote free?

CollaNote 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, CollaNote or Element Note?

CollaNote is rated higher. CollaNote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do CollaNote or Element Note have ads?

Neither CollaNote nor Element Note shows ads.

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

CollaNote ships an update every 11 days, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, CollaNote 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.*