# Element Note vs StudyNotes AI

The clearest difference is update cadence: StudyNotes AI at daily against Element Note's fortnightly. StudyNotes AI also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Element Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year and StudyNotes AI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, StudyNotes AI daily. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Element Note | StudyNotes AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | 68.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 129 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Soysauce Lab](https://appshunter.io/developer/598496583) | [Bekir Genc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1780208238) |

## 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


### StudyNotes AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studynotes-ai-note-taking-ai/id6748883708)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Element Note free?

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

### Is StudyNotes AI free?

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

### Do Element Note or StudyNotes AI have ads?

Neither Element Note nor StudyNotes AI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Element Note or StudyNotes AI?

Element Note ships an update fortnightly, and StudyNotes AI daily. Most recently, Element Note was updated on September 27, 2026 and StudyNotes AI on September 13, 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.*