# Element Note vs Wellnote

The clearest difference is monetization model: Wellnote at free against Element Note's free with in-app purchases. Wellnote also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 68%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Element Note's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 794). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Element Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year and Wellnote sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. 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 4.7 for Wellnote. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.6K and 794 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of Element Note's written reviews are positive against 78% of Wellnote's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Element Note | Wellnote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews) | **[4.7 (794 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wellnote-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6450023979/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 794 |
| Positive reviews | 68.1% of reviews | **77.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 129 MB | 439 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [MAXEYE US INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804912173) |

## 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


### Wellnote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wellnote-ai-notes-pdf-docs/id6450023979)

Experience natural handwriting with a stylus for note-taking and document annotation. Organize your thoughts with categorization and search, and study more effectively using split-screen and custom templates. Import and mark up PDFs, Word, and PPT files for interactive learning.

**Highlights:** Real handwriting experience with stylus, Categorize and search notes, Import and annotate PDFs, Word, PPT, Split-screen for multitasking, Customizable templates, Masking tape feature for memorization

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI+VIP | $1.99 | per month |
| AI+VIP | $10.99 | per year |
| AI Pro VIP | $99.99 | per year |
| AI Credits | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Element Note free?

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

### Is Wellnote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Element Note or Wellnote?

Wellnote is rated higher. Element Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Wellnote averages 4.7 from 794 ratings.

### Do Element Note or Wellnote have ads?

Neither Element Note nor Wellnote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Element Note or Wellnote?

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, and Wellnote fortnightly. Most recently, Element Note was updated on September 24, 2026 and Wellnote on September 24, 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.*