# Digital Notebook vs ESSEN Well

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ESSEN Well at none against Digital Notebook's 11. ESSEN Well also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Digital Notebook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. ESSEN Well asks for nothing beyond the download.

Digital Notebook ships an update every 6 weeks, ESSEN Well every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Digital Notebook | ESSEN Well |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (248 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/digital-notebook-note-taking/id6449457503/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **248** | — |
| Positive reviews | 10.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 132 MB | 394 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Appsprings, TOO](https://appshunter.io/developer/1689193977) | [Essentia Advisory SC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813982762) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### ESSEN Well

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essen-well/id6745802314)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Digital Notebook free?

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

### Is ESSEN Well free?

ESSEN Well is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Digital Notebook or ESSEN Well have ads?

Digital Notebook shows ads; ESSEN Well does not.

### Which is updated more often, Digital Notebook or ESSEN Well?

Digital Notebook ships an update every 6 weeks, and ESSEN Well every 2 weeks. Most recently, Digital Notebook was updated on October 7, 2026 and ESSEN Well on September 30, 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.*