# Absolute Board vs Element Note

The clearest difference is rating: Element Note at 4.6 against Absolute Board's 3.6. Element Note also leads on ratings volume (2.6K vs 12) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Absolute Board's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (90% vs 69%). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Element Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year. Absolute Board asks for nothing beyond the download.

Element Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Absolute Board's written reviews are positive against 69% of Element Note's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, Element Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absolute Board | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-board/id425756908/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **89.7% of reviews** | 68.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hyeoseong Hwang](https://appshunter.io/developer/369169972) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Absolute Board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-board/id425756908)

This free drawing and handwriting app allows users to sketch and take notes with unlimited board size and color options. Save and share your ideas easily, with features like a traceable eraser, photo import, and printing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Unlimited board size, Unlimited color choice, Path traceable eraser, Email snapshot of drawing, Zooming and panning, Undo/Redo functions, Import photos, Print snapshot

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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 Absolute Board free?

Absolute Board is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Element Note free?

Element Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Absolute Board or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. Absolute Board averages 3.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Absolute Board or Element Note have ads?

Neither Absolute Board nor Element Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Absolute Board or Element Note?

Absolute Board ships an update every 2 months, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Absolute Board was updated on October 15, 2026 and Element Note on October 21, 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.*