Comparison

元笔记 vs Paint Notes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

元笔记

Features
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The writing content of the stylus on the designated notebook is synchronized with the APP, and functions such as personalization, playback, sharing, processing offline data, and viewing pen parameters. Connecting device function: APP can connect to the stylus via Bluetooth and replace the stylus. Personalized function: 3 main functions: color, line thickness, eraser size. Playback function: Playback settings for handwriting. Offline data function: Get or clear offline data. More functions: you can check pen parameters, display the current version of the APP, user agreement and privacy policy information. Sharing function: You can choose the format of the notes and the sharing platform for sharing.

About

Paint Notes

Features
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Paint Notes replaces paper notebooks, providing a brand new electronic note taking experience. -Supports handwriting and text input, and can also add images, stickers, and graffiti. -Multiple types of paper can be selected with just one click, making it more convenient and concise to use. -Importing PDF is convenient for browsing, and you can make annotations and notes according to your needs. -Supports iPad, combined with Apple Pence, allows for free adjustment and performance. -Customize brush colors, thickness, and unleash unlimited creative potential. -Paperless management, which used to require a pile of paper notebooks to achieve sorting effects, can now be easily implemented on electronic apps. -Put notes in a folder, organize them in an orderly manner, and categorize and organize them according to projects, courses, or themes to keep them tidy -The powerful search function makes it easy to find notes from a long time ago. More features are continuously improving, and your support is our driving force!!!

Screenshots

元笔记4 screens
Paint Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Paint Notes at weekly against 元笔记's monthly. 元笔记's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

元笔记 ships an update monthly, Paint Notes weekly. Both last shipped on September 9, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
元笔记 versus Paint Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter元笔记Paint Notes
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShenzhen New Journey United Technology Co., LTD香屏 许

In-app purchases

None

元笔记

No in-app purchases

None

Paint Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 元笔记 free?
元笔记 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paint Notes free?
Paint Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 元笔记 or Paint Notes have ads?
Neither 元笔记 nor Paint Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 元笔记 or Paint Notes?
元笔记 ships an update monthly, and Paint Notes weekly. Most recently, 元笔记 was updated on September 9, 2026 and Paint Notes on September 9, 2026.

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