Comparison

Elm vs Engram

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Elm

Features
Read full description

Elm is a fast, distraction-free workspace for your notes, docs, and ideas. Write and organize everything in one place โ€” nested pages, a real block editor, and search that actually finds what you're looking for. No bloat, no fifty menus, no forced AI. NOTES & DOCS Write with a clean block editor built for speed. โ€ข Headings, checklists, code blocks, images, and multi-column layouts โ€ข Slash commands to add anything without touching a mouse โ€ข Nest pages as deep as you need โ€” build your own personal wiki STAY ORGANIZED โ€ข Star and pin your most-used pages โ€ข Recent pages, always one tap away โ€ข Fast, full-text search across your entire workspace SHARE WHEN YOU WANT TO โ€ข Share any page with a link โ€” view or edit access โ€ข Collaborate without giving up your whole workspace YOUR DATA, YOUR CALL โ€ข Export everything, any time โ€” Markdown or HTML โ€ข Delete your account and all your data whenever you want FREE TO START Unlimited pages and blocks on the free plan โ€” no credit card required. An optional paid plan with more storage is available on our website. LIGHT OR DARK Looks right at home either way. Simple, fast, and yours.

About

Engram

Read full description

Engram turns a spoken thought into a clean, organized note โ€” transcribed and structured right on your iPhone. No account, nothing sent to the cloud. Just press record or start typing. Engram is a quiet, private place for the words you want to hold onto, whether they're yours or anyone else's. Capture a fleeting idea, a lecture, a journal entry, or a long train of thought and get back a beautifully structured document, not a raw wall of words. FULLY CAPABLE OFFLINE Transcription and structuring happen locally, using on-device AI. Your recordings and notes never leave your iPhone unless you choose to sync them. Privacy is baked into the architecture at every level. FROM VOICE TO A REAL DOCUMENT - Record and watch the transcript take shape as you speak - Get it back as a clean outline or flowing prose โ€” your choice - A short summary at the top, so the gist is easy to find later - Import existing audio to turn it into easily readable and searchable notes ORGANIZED THE WAY YOU THINK - Notebooks and folders for your ideas, journals, lectures, and projects - Fast & local full-text search across everything - Full version history; nothing you write is lost - Export as Markdown; your data is yours to take anywhere HONEST PRICING The core experience (capture, transcribe, structure, summarize, organize) is free and works entirely offline. No trial, no account, no catch. Optional subscriptions add only what needs infrastructure: - Sync keeps your notes end-to-end encrypted and in step across your devices. Zero-knowledge architecture means they can't be read on our servers. Encrypted audio backup included. - Pro adds our most accurate cloud transcription for tricky names and jargon, sharper structuring, and processing speeds that only server-grade hardware can provide. Uploads are processed once and then discarded, never stored. Engram is built to feel like a familiar journal: warm, calm, and made to last. Your memory, kept private. --- Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://littlefort.io/engram/privacy

Screenshots

Elm4 screens
Engram4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Elm at none against Engram's 4. Elm also leads on device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Engram sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Elm asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Elm versus Engram: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElmEngram
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size22 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoshua ArnoldLittle Fort Software

In-app purchases

None

Elm

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Engram

Subscriptions4
  • Engram Sync$2.991 Month
  • Engram Pro$7.991 Month
  • Engram Sync$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Engram Pro (Annual)$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Elm free?
Elm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Engram free?
Engram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Elm or Engram have ads?
Neither Elm nor Engram shows ads.

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