# Element Note vs Forms

Element Note and Forms both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Element Note's written reviews are positive against 6% of Forms's. Element Note also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 391). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Element Note sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year and Forms sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 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 4.6 for Forms. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Element Note has 2.6K ratings behind it against 391, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Element Note's written reviews are positive against 6% of Forms's.

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, Forms every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Element Note | Forms |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/element-note/id6444015673/reviews)** | [4.6 (391 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forms-online-form-builder/id6450065474/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 391 |
| Positive reviews | **69.8% of reviews** | 6.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 129 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [LightApps OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683318905) |

## 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


### Forms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forms-online-form-builder/id6450065474)

Easily create and customize surveys, quizzes, and forms directly from your mobile device. Access templates, import questions, and add interactive elements. Analyze responses with real-time analytics and share your creations via a simple link.

**Highlights:** Create custom forms, surveys, and quizzes, Edit existing Google Forms, Access and customize templates, Import questions from other forms, Real-time response analytics and graphs, Share forms via link, Customizable themes

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forms Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forms Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Element Note free?

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

### Is Forms free?

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

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

Element Note is rated higher. Element Note averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Forms averages 4.6 from 391 ratings.

### Do Element Note or Forms have ads?

Forms shows ads; Element Note does not.

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

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, and Forms every 11 days. Most recently, Element Note was updated on November 3, 2026 and Forms on November 4, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*