# Kilonotes vs Element Note

The clearest difference is ads: Element Note at none against Kilonotes's shown. Element Note also leads on ratings volume (2.6K vs 857). Kilonotes's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 68%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kilonotes sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month 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 Kilonotes against 4.6 for Element Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 857 and 2.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Kilonotes's written reviews are positive against 68% of Element Note's.

Kilonotes ships an update every 2 weeks, Element Note fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kilonotes | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (857 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kilonotes-pocket/id1574139091/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 857 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 68.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 230 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hefei T-Stack Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514322478) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Kilonotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kilonotes-pocket/id1574139091)

This app offers a flexible digital notebook experience for iPhone users. Easily add images, photos, and text to your notes, and customize layouts with a lasso tool. Choose from various notebook covers and paper templates to personalize your digital workspace.

**Highlights:** Customizable notebook covers and templates, Insert images and photos, Lasso tool for layout design, Resizable and rotatable handwriting, Unlimited sheets of paper, Undo and eraser tools

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Quarterly subscription | $2.49 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| BerryBaby 2022 Handbook | $1.99 | one-time |
| Salted fish daily | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Highly customizable
- 🆓 Lots of free features
- 📚 Great for note-taking and journaling
- 🧠 Helps with organization and productivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔒 Limited functionality without premium subscription
- 🖍️ Difficulty resizing text and images
- 🔍 Lack of search or navigation features
- 🌙 No dark mode option

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to insert images
- Text formatting issues when switching between devices
- Inconsistent performance on older devices

**Requested features**

- Sync across devices
- More free templates and stickers
- Improved text editing tools
- Ability to export notes as PDF
- Customizable backgrounds and layouts


### 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 Kilonotes free?

Kilonotes 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, Kilonotes or Element Note?

Kilonotes is rated higher. Kilonotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 857 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Kilonotes or Element Note have ads?

Kilonotes shows ads; Element Note does not.

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

Kilonotes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Kilonotes was updated on September 27, 2026 and Element Note on September 27, 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.*