Element Note vs Digital Notebook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Element Note
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.
- Unique handwriting brushes
- Smooth drawing engine
- PDF annotation
- Text, shape, and image attachments
- On-device OCR search
- Smart dark mode
- iCloud sync and collaboration
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Element Note is the next-gen note taking, PDF annotation, and light sketching app. We stripped down the unnecessaries and carefully polished the elemental functions for a digital notebook. With a modern look and powerful features, Element Note strives to provide an elegant writing space free of distractions. Features: Unique brushes - Pencil (HB Pencil, Mechanical Pencil) - Pen (Pen, Line Pen, Fountain Pen) - Brush (Art Brush, Round Brush) - Marker (Marker, Round Marker) Best-in-class note rendering engine - Smooth and fluid drawing powered by Metal technology - Support gradient ink for more expressive notes Powerful attachments - Text - Shape - Sticker - Image Universal Search - Search through your PDF & Handwritting using on device OCR Smart Darkmode - Smartly adapts all of your notes to the system darkmode without changing the paper or stroke colors. iCloud Sync & Collaboration - Sync via your personal iCloud (No data is passed to our server) - Collaborate through iCloud collaboration for up to 100 users. Desktop class organization - Intuitive multi-select drag and drop gesture to organize your notes or pages Element Note is free to try for up to 3 notes. Unlock the full app with an in app purchase to create unlimited notes. Terms and Conditions https://elementnote.app/terms Privacy Policy https://elementnote.app/privacy
Digital Notebook
This app offers a versatile platform for note-taking, drawing, and document annotation. It includes an AI assistant for brainstorming and research, along with tools for creating class notes, diaries, and sketches. Users can also import and organize their documents for easy access.
- AI-assistant for brainstorming and research
- Freeform note-taking with pen and pencil tools
- Drawing and sketching capabilities with stickers
- Document import, annotation, and organization
- Diary and abstract creation
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Master your productivity with Digital Notebook, the ultimate tool for handwriting notes, journaling, and creative planning. Whether you need to manage school notes, organize your daily life, or start a digital bullet journal, our app provides everything you need in one seamless experience. HANDWRITING NOTES & SCHOOL NOTES Experience the freedom of handwriting notes directly on your device. Perfect for students creating class notes and abstracts, Digital Notebook includes essential tools like a pen, pencil, ruler, and eraser to make your study sessions efficient and intuitive. BULLET JOURNAL & DAILY NOTES Organize your schedule with ease. Use our versatile templates for journaling, daily notes, and life planning. From a structured bullet journal to a creative diary, customize your workflow to match your personal style. PERSONAL AI CHATBOT Supercharge your note making with our personal AI assistant. Use it for brainstorming ideas, completing school assignments, or finding quick inspiration. Your AI companion is ready to help you plan events or answer any question instantly. DRAWING BOARD & SKETCHES Express yourself with our integrated drawing board. Use various drawing tools and stickers to create sketches, decorate your digital notebook, and add a creative touch to your everyday routine. IMPORT & ORGANIZE Keep your files secure and accessible. Import, annotate, and organize your documents on the go. It is the most efficient way to manage your daily notes and essential files in one pocket-sized workspace. Download Digital Notebook today and redefine your note-taking experience! Please note: some features require a subscription. Privacy Policy: https://appsprings.pro/privacy Terms of Use: https://appsprings.pro/tos
Screenshots
Verdict
Element Note and Digital Notebook both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 68% of Element Note's written reviews are positive against 10% of Digital Notebook's. Element Note also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Element Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year and Digital Notebook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Element Note against 4.5 for Digital Notebook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 248, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Element Note's written reviews are positive against 10% of Digital Notebook's.
Element Note ships an update fortnightly, Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Element Note | Digital Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (2.6K ratings) — better | 4.5 (248 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 68.1% of reviews — better | 10.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.6K — better | 248 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 129 MB | 124 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Soysauce Lab | Appsprings, TOO |
Customer experience
Element Note
Digital Notebook
Bugs and requests
Element Note
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
6 requests- 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
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- Seasonal or custom sticker packs
Digital Notebook
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Element Note
- Element Note Yearly$3.491 Year
- Element Note Yearly$4.991 Year
- Lifetime Launch Special$4.99
- Lifetime$9.99
- Lifetime$14.99
Digital Notebook
- 1 week subscription$1.997 Days
- Note taking & PDF markup tools3 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Note taking & PDF markup tools$4.991 Month
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- 1 Week Subscription$6.997 Days
- 3 months subscription7 Days trial$7.993 Months
- 1 Year Subscription3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- 1 Month Subscription$19.991 Month
- 12 Months Premium$19.991 Year
- 3 Months3 Months trial$41.493 Months
- 3 Months Subscription3 Months trial$41.493 Months
- 12 Months Subscription$66.991 Year
