Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Penjo is 95 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

Penjo User Reviews

Name: Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner
Rating: 4.7 (273 reviews)

Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner

Zafer ARICAN

🌟 Lifestyle

📊 Productivity

Customer Experience

Positive experience76.5% of reviews

Neutral7.8% of reviews

Negative experience15.7% of reviews

~ Based on 115 written reviews from the US App Store.

What users say

Summarized from real user reviews of Penjo. Based on 273 reviews and a 4.7/5 average, it highlights the 12 positives and 12 negatives reviewers mention most about this Lifestyle app.

Positive things

✍️Excellent Apple Pencil integration and handwriting experience
📅Seamless calendar and reminders integration
💰One-time lifetime purchase option (no subscriptions)
🎨Clean, minimalist, and intuitive user interface
⚡Fast and responsive performance
📱Works flawlessly across iOS and iPadOS devices
🖼️Easy image insertion and manipulation on pages
🔍Handwriting search functionality
👨‍💼Responsive and helpful developer support
🎯Focused design that avoids unnecessary clutter
📖Perfect for daily journaling and note-taking
🔄Cloud syncing capability (when working properly)

Negative things

🐛Unreliable cloud sync across multiple devices
💳Confusing payment model and paywall messaging
🔐Missing security features like screen lock
📱Limited macOS support (Intel Macs incompatible)
🎨Limited customization options for colors and themes
📄Cannot export entire notebooks as PDF
🖊️Text selection and editing tools are clunky
❌Restore purchases button broken for some users
⚠️Automatic app updates without user permission
🔗Broken support page links
📊Limited page layout and template options
🎯Calendar-centric design limits non-daily use cases

Is Penjo Safe?

Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner appears safe based on user ratings. AppsHunter Safety Score for Penjo is 92/100.

This assessment is based on 273 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.7/5.

Safety Analysis

93.4% of ratings point to a safe experience

1.8% of ratings suggest some concerns

4.8% of ratings point to a risky experience

~ Based on 273 App Store ratings for Penjo.

Is Penjo Legit?

Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner appears to be a legitimate app. AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for Penjo is 95/100.

Based on 95 of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

Top reviews

Most Recent Highest Rated Lowest Rated

First try

I came across this app a few years ago but never looked into it until today. I was looking for something that had the following criteria: 1. Pull sync with my calendars and reminders and auto populate in the planner. 2. Unlimited space for meeting notes. 3. search capabilities for historical entries. 4. drag and drop capabilities of photos or stickers like Goodnotes. 5. An easy transition from Apple Pencil to Typing. This one seems to have all the things I needed without all the extra add ons that bog down apps. I really do like this planner and look forward to using it. The only suggestion I can think of off the top is for an item to list what it is if you hover over it. I have no idea what each thing does unless I actually click on it and then decide if that is what I really wanted to do or need to back out. I know I will learn it over time but it would be nice to be there from the start to help you get familiar.

Cox241

a month ago

Gone through Plenty of Planners

I have gone through plenty of planners and given up after finding too many things I didn’t like about it. Hassles of changing from day to month to week to year, the ability to go from the screen to the next to add a grocery list or things to do list the ability to synchronize with Apple calendar. This one has it all. There are a few things I wish it would do, but those are not big enough to dissuade me from marrying this Penjo Journal/planner.

Run2pat

2 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re very happy to hear that Penjo has made planning easier after you tried so many other apps. We’d also be glad to hear about the features you still wish Penjo had. Please feel free to contact us anytime at support@penjoapp.com and share your suggestions.

Best journaling experience.

I used to journal all through my childhood and teens but had stopped recently due to privacy concerns. I am so glad someone made this excellent app where I could jump back into journaling like I did back in the day right of the bat. One of the best things I like about this app as you can make a one time purchase instead of a subscription. It definitely needs an option to lock individual journals with dedicated passcodes. Also needs an option to change the spacing between lines.

Sonicastle

3 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you for your thoughtful review! We are especially happy to hear that Penjo helped you return to a habit you enjoyed for many years. Dedicated passcodes for individual journals are already on our roadmap and will be included in one of our upcoming major releases. Regarding line spacing, you can already customize it in the Paper Type settings under Customize in the journal settings (tap the three-dot icon on the journal card). Feel free to reach out anytime at support@penjoapp.com.

Gefällt mir…

… aber die Kalender-Auswahl bleibt nicht bestehen

MaxMeridian

4 months ago

Response from developer

Vielen Dank für Ihr Feedback. Es freut uns, dass Ihnen Penjo gefällt, und es tut uns leid, dass die Kalender-Auswahl nicht gespeichert bleibt. Bitte kontaktieren Sie uns unter support@penjoapp.com, damit wir uns das genauer ansehen und Ihnen weiterhelfen können.

Super App!

Diese App macht genau das, was ich bisher mit Goodnotes versucht habe, aber so nicht geschafft habe. Jeder Tag hat eine Notizfunktion, egal, wie viele Seiten. Mit der Übersicht lässt sich alles leicht wiederfinden und such die Suchfunktion klappt einwandfrei!
Wenn jetzt noch der Fehler beim Einfügen langer Texte behoben wird, bin ich wunschlos glücklich.
Einfach super!

A.B. Testerin

5 months ago

Response from developer

Vielen Dank für die wunderbare Bewertung! Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Penjo Ihnen genau die tägliche Notizstruktur, Übersicht und Suchfunktion bietet, die Sie gesucht haben. Wir werden uns mit dem Problem beim Einfügen längerer Texte beschäftigen und versuchen, dies in einem kommenden Update zu verbessern. Nochmals vielen Dank für Ihre freundlichen Worte und Ihr hilfreiches Feedback!

Update. I’ve figured out my issue.

Best journaling app on iOS. This one lets you use Apple Pencil to write; not very many have this feature. You can only type.

TheUnCoolAid

5 months ago

Cross platform Day Timer Replacement!

Responsive developer! Super simple with lots of basic features. Was exactly what I was looking for in a daily business journal.

Felixtheengine

5 months ago

My daily double

So much fun. Use it daily as a food journal as well a journal journal: daily life stuff, I mean. Easy to organize pages. Easy to add graphics. GREAT customer service!

Iagreetotally

5 months ago

Excellent iPad planner app

I did a lot of research and experimenting with different planner/journaling apps before I settled on this one. Excellent app, love the calendar integration and ability to write or add text, photos, etc.
the developer also seems very invested in continuing to improve while welcoming communication from users! Awesome experience thus far.

RLBlaker

5 months ago

Elegant Journal App

I am pretty sure I’ve tried almost every planner or journal application in the App Store and have come away feeling like the annual subscriptions and templates hosted on app specific storefronts weren’t worth the money. On top of that, it always felt slow and clunky to get to the part where I can just write stuff down. Then, I’d have to deal with menus and buttons in the way of my writing and by the time I’d get adjusted to where I was ready to jot my thoughts down, the moment would already be passed. Penjo is different. It’s simple, fast, and stays out of my way. It incorporates the best of native iOS and macOS features and expands in all the areas Apple fell short. I don’t regret buying the lifetime license at all and encourage anyone on the fence to support this tool.

Hekk247

6 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you for the kind words and detailed review! Getting you to the page as fast as possible, with nothing in the way, is the core design principle behind Penjo, so it means a lot to hear it landing that way. We appreciate your lifetime support and have plenty more in the works.

Frustrated

bought the premium since i got super excited to use this app long term and was met with a locked screen. i can’t even open the app anymore. it’s just locked for me. have tried everything possible. what a scam

Sunflowerapples

6 months ago

Response from developer

Thanks for your feedback. This issue should be solvable and is not the intended experience. Please contact us at support@penjoapp.com with a few details about your device and what you see on the locked screen, and we will do our best to help you get back into the app.

My favourite app!

The one time payment of 20 dollars for unlimited EVERYTHING… WAS SUCH AN EASY PAYMENT FOR ME. I ADORE THIS APP!

T3ay_

7 months ago

Sub

Trying to charge me but I don’t even have a subscription

bsiensiw

7 months ago

Tried it again

I redownloaded it and it works perfectly now

Devilewis88

7 months ago

Syncs with Apple calendar

I NEVER review apps. But this one is worth reviewing for! I was looking for a planning app that synced with my apple calendar and couldn’t find ANY where I could create a drawing of my day and see it along side my calendar. Then I came across a Reddit post recommending Penjo. So far, it has made daily planning easy and FUN. Although it’s great the way it is, I really hope that it gets enough traction to keep improving.

Rileyysavage

7 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you so much for this beautiful review. The fact that you never review apps and chose to write one for Penjo truly means a lot to us. It makes us happy to hear that you were looking for a way to draw your day and see it alongside your Apple Calendar and that Penjo gave you exactly that. Making daily planning feel personal, creative, and fun is the heart of why Penjo exists. And thank you for your hope that Penjo keeps growing. We are constantly working on improvements and new ideas, and support like yours is what keeps us inspired to continue building with care. If you ever have suggestions or ideas, please feel free to reach out at support@penjoapp.com. We would love to hear from you.

Great Planner

This is a great planner. I would suggest adding new page templates such as two column pages. Another great functional template would be a daily planner page. Each page might show the days events in the corner so you can see your day while marking up the page.

Dudebroswag

8 months ago

This is the one!

I have been looking for a note taking app that has the same fountain pen as the one in Apple’s notes. I have gone through sooo many and paid for more just to get the “pro” versions and they all were disappointing. But lo and behold, Reddit to the rescue! I couldn’t believe this little app had my beloved fountain pen! I gave them my money immediately! I have been using them since, faithfully. My writing is flawless and doesn’t distort like Apple notes app after hours of case study reviews. I have just two suggestions. Allow for the ability to lock our screen. I am sure zooming the page in and out is useful for some tasks, but for just writing or journaling, it does move more than I like when my arm hits the screen or my hand makes contact during writing. I have seen others with that function and it is wonderful keeping the page at the size you want and stable. Second, I may be missing this, I honestly may be missing the first suggestion, as in the ability exists and I am overlooking it but, I would love to have all of the Apple Pencil options, esp. the highlighter. If I am overlooking these things, I would love to be directed to them. Other than that, chef’s kiss! 10/10 no notes!!

Clipseangel

8 months ago

Response from developer

Thank you very much for your through review and kind words. Happy to hear that Penjo meets your expectations. Regarding the zoom lock, it is a great idea and we immediately decided to include it in the next update and here it is!. Penjo v3.6.14 now includes zoom locking. When set from the context menu in the note, the zoom will be fixed to that current level to reduce the effect of possible palm touch. Thanks again for the suggestion. Regarding the all pencil options. You can switch between the default and favorite one from the pen icon on the right in tool picker. You can add remove pencils to your favorite toolpicker. Feel free to check FAQ in penjoapp.com or contact us last support@penjoapp.com Thanks again for your kind words and suggestions.

Perf, just some suggestions

Rlly absolutely love I cannot tell u how absolutely amazing this is. One suggestion I do have is if there could be some templates or daily prompts to write about to enhance the journaling experience would be cool.

Ooo what about some themes too? Like I recently used free notes and colla notes and rlly love how their icons for the pencil features look n all since I use penjo everyday and I’m kinda wanting a different theme at some days.

Oh and since there’s numbers telling me how many pages I’ve used, it would be great if I could see a glimpse of all the pages at once in that specific day so I could go to a specific page when I need it

Umme R.

8 months ago

Response from developer

Update: Thank you for your review update. Good news! Changing color of a handwritten section is already available. Just select the handwritten note with the lasso tool in the pencil tool picker then choose a color from the tool picker. You will see the color of the drawing/note changes. Feel free to reach out anytime at support@penjoapp.com for any questions, feedback or suggestions. ---------------------- Update 2: We also added indicators for multi sheets in the same day to show number of sheets for the same day. Update: We added an indicator showing number of pages for each day in week, month and list views in Penjo v3.6.7. Thanks again for your suggestion. Thank you for your feedback! We’re glad you enjoy journaling in Penjo. Showing page numbers or an indicator for how many pages a day includes is a great idea and we’ve noted it for future updates.

Eine schöne App

Penjo ist wirklich eine tolle App vor allem die Verschlüsselung ist mir wichtig. Ich bin aber noch am ausprobieren. Leider habe ich vor kurzem irgendwie einen Eintrag gelöscht als ich auf dem iPhone nach dem Eintrag geschaut habe daher habe ich die Synchronisation komplett aus gemacht und mache es lieber manuell. Ich habe gelesen das jemand die Sticker Funktion vermisst wie bei Goodnotes ich verwende einfach die geteilte Ansicht und kopiere es dann und füge es ein, das klappt auch sehr gut. Aber ich nutze hauptsächlich Fotos bisher. Was ich bisher gesucht habe aber nicht gefunden habe ist eine Einstellung für die Scrollrichtung, ich würde es sehr gerne von rechts nach links wischen wie ein Buch statt von unten nach oben. Aber ansonsten bin Ich sehr zufrieden mit der App . Vielen Dank an den Entwickler dafür. Ich habe auch gleich die lebenslange Version gekauft. Den Betrag investiere ich gerne für eine tolle App. 😌

Sangel706

8 months ago

Response from developer

Vielen Dank für Ihre freundliche und ausführliche Bewertung und für Ihre Unterstützung von Penjo. Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie die App insgesamt genießen. Bezüglich der Synchronisation können Sie sich jederzeit gerne an uns wenden, damit wir uns das von Ihnen erlebte Problem gemeinsam ansehen können. Vielen Dank auch, dass Sie geteilt haben, wie Sie mit Stickern über die geteilte Ansicht arbeiten. Das ist eine sehr gute Lösung. Außerdem planen wir, in kommenden großen Versionen Collections einzuführen. Bleiben Sie also gespannt. Auch Ihr Feedback zu den bevorzugten Scrollrichtungen haben wir notiert. Vielen Dank, dass Sie uns darauf aufmerksam gemacht haben. Solche Rückmeldungen helfen uns sehr dabei, das Nutzungserlebnis weiter zu verbessern. Vielen Dank nochmals für Ihr Vertrauen und Ihre Unterstützung. Das bedeutet uns sehr viel.

Tools not working

The writing experience has been great. However, I recently paid for the lifetime license access and I am still unable to lock the journal, add files, delete, and bookmark, etc. The cloud syncing does work but it is not automatic.

The aforementioned tools were why I purchased the license and if I do not have access to them, I want my money back. Thanks.

Rhythmisn0thin