# Element Note vs Digital Notebook

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Element Note | Digital Notebook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** | [4.5 (248 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 248 |
| Positive reviews | **68.1% of reviews** | 10.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 129 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [Appsprings, TOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689193977) |

## 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 (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


### Digital Notebook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 week subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $2.99 | per month |
| Note taking & PDF markup tools | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Week Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| 3 months subscription | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| 1 Month Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| 12 Months Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| 3 Months | $41.49 | per 3 months |
| 3 Months Subscription | $41.49 | per 3 months |
| 12 Months Subscription | $66.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Element Note free?

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

### Is Digital Notebook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Element Note or Digital Notebook?

Element Note is rated higher. Element Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Digital Notebook averages 4.5 from 248 ratings.

### Do Element Note or Digital Notebook have ads?

Digital Notebook shows ads; Element Note does not.

### Which is updated more often, Element Note or Digital Notebook?

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, and Digital Notebook every 6 weeks. Most recently, Element Note was updated on September 30, 2026 and Digital Notebook on September 28, 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.*