# Draw Pad Pro vs Element Note

The clearest difference is rating: Element Note at 4.6 against Draw Pad Pro's 4.0. Element Note also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 36%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Draw Pad Pro sells 10 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 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 159, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Draw Pad Pro's written reviews are positive against 69% of Element Note's.

Draw Pad Pro ships an update every 2 months, Element Note fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Draw Pad Pro | Element Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (159 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draw-pad-pro-sketch-notes/id483071025/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 159 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 35.8% of reviews | **68.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fishington Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/344044425) | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) |

## What reviewers say

### Draw Pad Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draw-pad-pro-sketch-notes/id483071025)

This app provides a digital space for capturing thoughts, ideas, and sketches. It offers extensive customization and productivity tools, with sharing capabilities, designed for seamless use across all your devices.

**Highlights:** Note taking, Sketching, Idea management, Customization options, Productivity features, Sharing capabilities

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photo Add-on Tool | $0.99 | one-time |
| Text Add-on | $0.99 | one-time |
| Construction Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3D Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Blueprint Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Game Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Productivity Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sports Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Business Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Drawing Tools | $2.99 | one-time |


### 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 Draw Pad Pro free?

Draw Pad Pro 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, Draw Pad Pro or Element Note?

Element Note is rated higher. Draw Pad Pro averages 4.0 out of 5 from 159 ratings, while Element Note averages 4.6 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Draw Pad Pro or Element Note have ads?

Neither Draw Pad Pro nor Element Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Draw Pad Pro or Element Note?

Draw Pad Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Element Note fortnightly. Most recently, Draw Pad Pro was updated on October 1, 2026 and Element Note on October 13, 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.*