# Calligraphy Handbook — user reviews > 112 indexed App Store user reviews of Calligraphy Handbook by Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon, rated 4.50/5 from 518 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 373 · 4★ 84 · 3★ 20 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 32 ## What do users think of Calligraphy Handbook? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Helpful for learning calligraphy - 💡 Variety of font styles and color options - 👍 Calming and meditative experience - 👍 Great for beginners and intermediate users - 👍 Useful for practicing without supplies - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs - 💰 Misleading about free features - 🔒 Lack of palm rejection and input issues - 👎 Overly strict grading system - 👎 Limited free features, need to pay for full access **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes when switching between uppercase and lowercase letters - Undo feature causes freezing and loss of progress - Inconsistent performance and lag when using Apple Pencil - Restoration of in-app purchases not working as expected **Most requested features** - Add more font styles, especially Gothic and modern - Implement better palm rejection and input handling - Allow users to favorite/save preferred font styles - Add the ability to practice full words and sentences - Improve export and sharing options ## Newest reviews (14 of 112) ### 4/5 — good but *2025-07-29, version 3.7* whenever i try to restore perchases it wouldn’t let me and i still have ads ### 4/5 — Good but some bugs and suggestions *2024-08-04, version 3.5* It is pretty thorough with a lot of hand (font) options. They’re beautiful and pretty easy. But there are certain things like making a nice serif that’s tricky. It would be nice if it had a little video on each letter and hand. Also, like the L, at the end where it ticks up and thicken on the right, how can I do that with a digital pen? Or even a calligraphy pen & nibs without changing nibs? Initially, it started great but then the app keeps registering my stroke and stops halfway and the whole page shifts instead. Maybe it’s my pen’s battery? I love that it’s free with possible upgrades. One thing I can’t stand are very limited apps for a free trial. Definitely worth a try! ### 3/5 — Usability *2023-12-03, version 3.5* Clunky. ### 4/5 — Excellent app *2023-10-30, version 3.3* It’s a pretty good app. I can learn the structure of different letters. Thanks. ### 3/5 — I really enjoy it… when it works. *2023-10-27, version 3.3* It’s full of bugs and will shut down randomly all the time. Wish I could use it consistently, because the designs and format is all fantastic. ### 4/5 — Great app if you are precise *2022-07-27, version 3.1* I’ve been doing calligraphy for 40+ years. This is a great app for beginners and intermediate writers. The one drawback, IMO, is that the app grading is ridiculously exacting. I like to deviate, just a bit, to make my letters more “me.” With this app, creative flair is stifled. Also, if I want to get the letters for a certain words, the caps and lowercase letters are listed as different fonts, so I cannot practice someone’s name, for example. Very frustrating. I do love this app for practicing my calligraphy, though. It is so nice to be able to erase mistakes on the screen! :) IRL, calligraphy with ink and paper is not very forgiving with mistakes. This is a great app to learn to write beautifully! ### 3/5 — What’s happened? *2022-07-03, version 3.1* I spent hours using this app. Gave it a break for a while. Now, it’s full of bugs. Shuts down randomly, without saving current progress; freezes when using the undo feature while setting up words. Great app, lots of fun, but incredibly frustrating to use at the moment. ### 4/5 — Great app but a small detail missing *2021-11-07, version 3.0* A nice touch would be to have the letters actually join up to make words instead of just letters side by side, but it’s still a great app to practice different styles of font ### 5/5 — Paid and happy. Love it THANKYOU *2021-10-30, version 3.0* The only reason I paid is because of the reviews. I do have to say never doing calligraphy, and using this best thing to do . I have had it about an hour and can do some of the letters without tracing . Great teaching tool. The challenges are hard , you have to be perfect . I love it. I suggest this to anyone who wants to try this or just get better at handwriting. ### 5/5 — Agree Totally *2021-09-09, version 3.0* Agree completely that both this and the other app similar are worth it! Best tutorial and practice I’ve seen!!!! ### 2/5 — I paid for this app only for it to continuously crash *2021-07-26, version 3.0* I like the concept of this app, however, it will not stay open. I paid for this app and am so sick of it crashing every 3 minutes. This needs to be fixed and I would like my money back. Thank you ### 5/5 — Get this app, it’s great! *2021-05-31, version 3.0* I’ve been interested in calligraphy since childhood and used up reams of paper back then practicing. I recently wanted to get started again and wondered if there is an app - there are! This one is, by far, the very best. Easy to use, lots of hands, and the price is incredibly low. If you’re interested in calligraphy, don’t hesitate. Get this app and try it (it’s free to try!). Be warned, however, this is highly addictive! You’re going to have good penmanship! ### 5/5 — Life saver *2021-02-17, version 2.9* I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found this app. It seriously calms me down and helps me get used to how the pencil on my iPad Pro works. I love the app and I wouldn’t change anything about it. It simple, meditative, and soothing. I suggest anyone whether they know calligraphy or not try this is you have anxiety. It really works. Also a great DBT skill package if you think about it. This app helps you practice mindfulness, distraction, and probably a couple others I’ve missed. You go developers!! ### 5/5 — Better than using Procreate *2021-01-24, version 2.9* I’ve had a go at using Procreate to do calligraphy where you use pressure to effect a thin or thick line but it’s very difficult to get the hang of when you’re used to using a calligraphy pen, where the angle of the nib does this job. This app is much more like the experience of using a calligraphy pen to write. I love the effect it gives. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — In app purchases *2024-08-02, version 3.5* In app purchases are the leading cause for all simple apps to lose download potential from users. Unless your app is super amazing. Which it isn’t. Not worth the download unless it was free ### 1/5 — Hate This App *2021-12-21, version 3.0* Rarely do I write reviews; but today became that day. I got suckered into buying the upgrade and for about $5 all I got was different ink colors. The number one problem I have with the App is my connected fully charged Apple Pencil isn’t working and there’s no troubleshooting or FAQ. The pencil worked for a short while in the beginning and then stopped. I wished before buying the company was clearer on all the upgraded features which I guess is each different ink color counts as an upgrade. The instructions manual is is horrible; very little any clarity for application use or missing information about the different features, and why you would use it over another feature. I guess they expect the user to know all the end and outs of the App through osmosis. ### 1/5 — Nothing for lefty users *2021-11-07, version 3.0* Booooooooooooooo! ### 1/5 — Payant *2021-11-02, version 3.0* Tout est dit. Pourquoi une appli apparement gratuite où on peut à peu près rien faire sans payer ? ### 1/5 — App force quits *2021-08-16, version 3.0* Anytime while doing words for example and you choose a caps letter then switch to a lowercase letter it just closes the app completely which is ridiculous seeing as how I paid for the app. I have u uninstalled and reinstalled still doesn’t work right! It happens bile doing other things as well and you really should give some instructions for the freehand writing for when it doesn’t force quit! Fix the dang issue or refund money and make this app free if it’s going to force quit for 50% of the app! ### 1/5 — Practically unusable *2021-04-20, version 3.0* You can get better practice material by googling free calligraphy worksheets. The description of the app leaves out that after the initial purchase you need to make additional purchases to unlock features. ### 1/5 — This app is not free!!! *2020-05-30, version 2.9* Contrary to what this app says, it is not free. The only part that is free is the practicing of the alphabet!! ### 1/5 — Bad game! *2020-04-04, version 2.9* I don't like this game! Do not get! ### 1/5 — Very little free *2020-02-16, version 2.9* Was all going so well until everything other than ‘getting started’ stoped working without warning. I assume it’s now time to pay although there is nothing to explain this - pretty poor! ### 1/5 — Not good *2020-02-14, version 2.9* Horrible app. And misleading. Used one day and the next it is charging fees to unlock. Not free and not worth buying :!! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Terrific way to learn this skill *2025-04-10, version 3.6.5* Challenging and encouraging ### 5/5 — Brilliant!! *2024-09-17, version 3.5* The best calligraphy app thats free with NO ADS !! I’m loving it Thanks so much to the developers for making this app free xx ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2024-06-14, version 3.5* I just started and so far this app is great! I’m basically transitioning to goth and I kinda want to be able to do calligraphy. I saw another app like this and I thought it looked cool, so I got it … but it wanted me to pay to do it so obvi, I did not continue it. I started looking for another app like it and found this so, I got it, and I’m resaying or what ever the word is, so far this is great. ### 5/5 — Great for getting started *2023-12-15, version 3.5* I’m relatively new to calligraphy and wanted an app that would allow me to practice without spending all the money on equipment and paper until I felt more comfortable. Perfect for practice ### 5/5 — I like it, does have some bugs (update 2) *2023-10-30, version 3.3* * free version is basically just a sample and you’re not going to get much out of it, there is a small (under $5) one time charge to use the app as intended. No ads, no subscription, no endless series of in-app purchases. * variety of fonts, many many color options, some nice extras * I strongly recommend reading the user’s guide in “getting started”, there’s a lot that the app has to offer that won’t be obvious without it * I was basically just looking for somewhere where I could make letters calligraphy-style, without the wide side of the “pen” changing directions on me unexpectedly. So, obviously this app met that expectation but it also went way beyond it. And I thought I’d enjoy myself but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself this much. I downloaded this app maybe two days ago and have been using it more than I’ve been doing anything else other than sleeping. * the “words” section is prone to crashing, so don’t put a lot of effort into that section if you’re new to the app. When you use it more you get a sense of what causes it to crash and can usually avoid it crashing at bad times and losing your creations. * I don’t think I’ve had it crash when making art directly from “layers gallery” or “stencils models”. I enjoy tracing the lettrines (extra fancy letters) a lot. For some reason I can’t figure out you can get a grid or lines in that part of the app, but not the same sorts of lines you get in the practice sections of the app which is just weird imo. * This isn’t a shiny subscription based app with perfect function and new features all the time. It’s more like the early apps. Personally I think that’s a good thing. * it’s been idk a month and I still spend maybe an hour or two every day on this. Very calming. ### 5/5 — Great Calligraphy app. *2023-09-22, version 3.3* I have been searching for a good calligraphy app for a long time. I finally found this ,I am so pleased now. It starts you at the very beginning ( you know when you had to practice a letter & a page at a time) For anyone looking to improve or discover calligraphy, this is a great app. ### 5/5 — Good app *2023-09-15* * free version is basically just a sample and you’re not going to get much out of it, there is a small (under $5) one time charge to use the app as intended. No ads, no subscription, no endless series of in-app purchases. And the sample is likely to give you a sense of whether you’d find paying for the full app worth it. * variety of fonts, many many color options, some nice extras * I strongly recommend reading the user’s guide in “getting started”, there’s a lot that the app has to offer that won’t be obvious without it * I was basically just looking for somewhere where I could make letters calligraphy-style, without the wide side of the “pen” changing directions on me unexpectedly. So, obviously this app met that expectation but it also went way beyond it. And I thought I’d enjoy myself but I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself this much. I downloaded this app maybe two days ago and have been using it more than I’ve been doing anything else other than sleeping. *It’ll be hard to go back to doing calligraphy with a pen and paper, you don't get an undo feature that way, ha. * or ink that changes color as you go or does pretty stripes or… ### 5/5 — Nice they are checking *2023-03-14, version 3.1* I heard from customer service, great by the way, and they let me know you can type the word in so you can learn to write sentences. Cool I did not know that. ### 5/5 — Damn good *2023-03-04, version 3.1* This app is awesome, great to practice with, I feel guilty that I spend more time on this app. Great collection of font styles. Worthy of purchasing if you got the calligraphy bug. ### 5/5 — Wonderful App *2022-03-18, version 3.0* I’ve learned so much about Calligraphy. Well worth the upgrade. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-09.*