# Elemental vs CollaNote

The clearest difference is rating: CollaNote at 4.7 against Elemental's 2.2. CollaNote also leads on ratings volume (14K vs 18). Elemental's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CollaNote sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Elemental asks for nothing beyond the download.

CollaNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CollaNote has 14K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Elemental's written reviews are positive against 70% of CollaNote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Elemental ships an update every 3 weeks, CollaNote every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on July 6, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elemental | CollaNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental/id518655328/reviews) | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collanote-notes-and-pdf-markup/id1540956268/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **73.4% of reviews** | 70.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 209 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dotmatics Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/518655351) | [Zauberberg Lab Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693142923) |

## What reviewers say

### Elemental

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elemental/id518655328)

This free utility allows users to easily draw chemical structures and reactions on their mobile devices. It offers features like property calculation, file sharing via email and Dropbox, and a built-in periodic table. Users can also export structures as image files or MOL/RXN formats.

**Highlights:** Draw chemical structures and reactions, Calculate cheminformatics properties, Tweet chemical structures, Dropbox integration, Open MOL/RXN files, Email structures as files/images, Built-in Periodic Table

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elemental free?

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

### Is CollaNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Elemental or CollaNote?

CollaNote is rated higher. Elemental averages 2.2 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while CollaNote averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.

### Do Elemental or CollaNote have ads?

Neither Elemental nor CollaNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elemental or CollaNote?

Elemental ships an update every 3 weeks, and CollaNote every 11 days. Most recently, Elemental was updated on July 6, 2026 and CollaNote 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.*