# Element Note vs Quick Widget Memo

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Quick Widget Memo at none against Element Note's 3. Quick Widget Memo also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%). Element Note's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Element Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year. Quick Widget Memo asks for nothing beyond the download.

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, Quick Widget Memo every 8 days. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Element Note | Quick Widget Memo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 129 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [Yutaka Kato](https://appshunter.io/developer/1674092270) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Element Note Yearly | $3.49 | per year |
| Element Note Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| 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


### Quick Widget Memo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-widget-memo/id6446875976)

Capture ideas instantly with home screen widgets. Jot down thoughts without opening the app, using Apple Pencil for customization. Save and modify notes easily, with options for dark mode and background colors.

**Highlights:** Home screen widget for instant notes, Apple Pencil support for pen type and color, Edit handwritten notes with undo/redo, Customizable background color and dark mode, Three widget sizes (large, medium, small)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Element Note free?

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

### Is Quick Widget Memo free?

Quick Widget Memo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Element Note or Quick Widget Memo have ads?

Quick Widget Memo shows ads; Element Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Element Note or Quick Widget Memo?

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, and Quick Widget Memo every 8 days. Most recently, Element Note was updated on November 3, 2026 and Quick Widget Memo on November 3, 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.*