# Penzu — user reviews > 429 indexed App Store user reviews of Penzu by Penzu Inc., rated 4.20/5 from 2,524 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,678 · 4★ 373 · 3★ 118 · 2★ 99 · 1★ 256 ## What do users think of Penzu? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Easy to use - 🔒 Secure and private - 📝 Convenient journaling on the go - 🗓️ Helpful reminders and date tracking - 💻 Syncs across devices **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs - 🔑 Password issues and lockout problems - 📁 Syncing and data loss issues - 📱 Limited functionality on mobile app - 💰 Expensive premium subscription **Commonly reported bugs** - Keyboard disappearing during use - Entries not saving or syncing properly - Inability to access account after updates **Most requested features** - More customization options for fonts, themes, and layouts - Ability to export/backup journal entries - Improved mobile app stability and features - Better customer support and communication ## Newest reviews (15 of 429) ### 2/5 — App is unusable for me *2026-08-20, version 3.20* I like Penzu, but the app has been unusable for me. I usually switch between writing entries on my laptop and my iPhone, and up till last year I didn’t encounter issues with that setup (with just a few occasional glitches that support could help out with). But for some reason I can’t sync Penzu on my phone anymore. Photos I upload from my phone into entries don’t save. The app is honestly infuriating. I’ve contacted support several times but I don’t even think they understand the issue. I have so many entries on Penzu, but not sure if I should stick with it any longer. ### 4/5 — Easy and focused *2026-08-17, version 3.20* I love there is a desktop version and app so I can write in both places. Also that there is a functional journalling that doesn’t cost. The setup is simplified and streamlined layout, helping to not overwhelm my head. ### 3/5 — Entries aren’t syncing *2026-05-26, version 3.20* Despite pressing the “Sync now” button, months of recent entries have never managed to sync. ### 5/5 — Journals I keep coming back to *2026-05-13, version 3.20* Have used Penzu for many years now and it’s my go to journaling app. Love the password protection and encryption as it lets me bare my soul to myself which, at times, has helped me process life. Great to come back and read them too. ### 5/5 — Great App for Creating *2026-05-13, version 3.20* I’ve used Penzu for about 7 years, first for a creative writing course and to continue writing my poetry. The app is easy to use and can be effective using the free version. ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-05-12, version 3.20* Really useful, really easy to use on your phone. You can capture thoughts, feelings and achievements in seconds. Love you can snip something you read or see and can paste it in for reflection. ### 5/5 — Simple *2026-05-09, version 3.20* I love that this journaling app is visually clean and simple in its functionality. It makes me able to focus on getting my thoughts out right away rather than clicking through a bunch of ads or pop ups or other disruptions. You login and your journal is right there and you make one click to open a new entry (the entry opens with date auto populated) or one click to look back at past entries. Simple, clean, easy to use. ### 4/5 — Clean, Functional, Inexpensive *2026-05-09, version 3.20* I like the app because it makes it really easy to write and share. I also like that a year later it sends me an email with the prior year’s journal for that day. It really makes me reflect. ### 2/5 — Great on computer sucks on iPad *2026-05-08, version 3.20* I really like using it on computer browser but the iPad app isn’t working, I’ve updated the app, deleted it and downloaded it again it just isn’t working ### 5/5 — keeps my thoughts safe and organised *2026-05-07, version 3.20* I stare using penzu nealry a decade ago. I used to write every day in a journal with a pen. When I started to have marriage difficulties I needed to make sure that my personal reflections were safe and out of sight of my now ex husband. I lik the way th journal will w me me and email to show me what I wrote on a particular day several years ago and I can see how far I have progressed. I sometimes miss physically writing in a note pad. But I know this is safer for me and maybe one day I might do something with my writen or typed words. who knows? ### 5/5 — Keep Journaling *2026-05-04, version 3.19* I’ve been doing this for at least 10 years now and highly recommend it. The only issue I have with it is that once in awhile it doesn’t sync as expected between my computer and phone and it gives me scare that something has been lost….but I think it’s ok. Nice thing is how interesting Penzu sends an email that shows what I said on that same date in various years previous. Keeps me enthused about journaling. ### 5/5 — A grand slam *2026-05-04, version 3.19* I have been using it for years to remind me to write and help me keep all my thoughts in one place. ### 5/5 — Love this App, so easy! *2026-04-29, version 3.19* I’ve used this for so many years and I love how it is so easy to add a thought, experience, picture when I’m on a trip or lying down at night. When going through a terrible personal event, I had journal entries sent to me monthly to remind myself of my progress, and provide positive self talk. It can be a letter to my future self! I recommend this to friends and family all the time. ### 5/5 — User since 2009 *2026-04-27, version 3.18* Grateful it exists 🫶 ### 5/5 — Amazing *2026-04-21, version 3.18* I love the annual reminders that show up like this: “A year ago today, you wrote…” very cool to reflect! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Really upset with the sync issue *2026-08-03, version 3.20* I’ve normally been loving this app. It’s free, you can access it on your phone app as well as the web, and it syncs. However!! I don’t know what happened. I’ve mostly been using the web version, but I was in bed, so I wanted to add something I thought of using the phone app. The phone app had not been syncing. Today, I finally remember while on my computer, and I noticed it synced the web version to whatever was on the phone app a missing MONTHS of an entry I’ve been working as a recap to myself to read on my birthday. Additionally, I am pregnant with my first, so it had a lot of updates about all things baby, and I am just really upset that I lost all of those updates to myself. If anyone at all still checks the comments and updates the app, PLEASE reach out, so I can recover the rest of the entry. ### 1/5 — Pro isn’t worth it *2026-07-29, version 3.20* When you subscribe to pro the only feature you get is changing the background colour. It’s utterly useless. You still can’t do full screen editing, you don’t get version history (which is terrible because your entries disappear all the time), and half the buttons in the UI ask you for more money. It’s a greedy little app that basically takes your money and gives you nothing. ### 1/5 — Weird *2026-07-29, version 3.20* So secure that you can't login or sign up. And don't go further human verification ### 1/5 — Help *2026-07-22, version 3.20* I’ve issued this all to write my book and been using for over 10 Years. Now I can’t log into It and they won’t let me Change my Code ### 1/5 — Ugh *2026-05-24, version 3.20* I just made a account and now I can’t even log back in. ### 1/5 — Constantly crashes *2026-04-11, version 3.17* For over two years this app constantly crashes when using voice to text ### 1/5 — Can’t upgrade To Pro+ *2026-03-23, version 3.17* I can’t upgrade my account to gain access to my journals. ### 1/5 — Do NOT use Penzu, you will lose years of journaling *2026-03-10, version 3.15* Penzu is a scam. I used it as an online journal then all of a sudden I cannot login. I’ve tried many times and when I tried to contact support it said I needed to upgrade to a paid subscription. So what - years of journaling is just lost because I don’t want to give money to a scam site? DO NOT USE PENZU. why do I have to pay to get help with an app??????? ### 1/5 — Lost access to journal *2026-03-08, version 3.15* The app is now not letting me access my journals I’ve had for 6 years, forces me to create a new account then says email address is already taken. No option to log in from basic account any upgrade. Total failure and complete loss of trust for a sensitive application like journaling. Don’t trust your journaling to this app or you will lose access to your valuable private information one day. ### 1/5 — Inconsistent *2026-02-11, version 3.10* Lately Penzu has not been saving some entries, especially photos. Sometimes it does not save text & at others neither photo nor text. If it becomes this unreliable then sadly I will have to move to another diary software. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Journaling like a boss! *2026-08-29, version 3.20* I kept a paper journal off and on through the years (mostly off) but I started journaling on Penzu 4 years ago and I’m a regular now! I even upgraded to the Pro version so I could keep multiple journals. I’ve also started transcribing my ancient hand-written journals into Penzu and now I have a life-span record in the cloud. That’s just amazing and I hope one day I can print it all out into a book. I have recommended Penzu to many people over the years. ### 5/5 — Please add a dark mode *2026-08-06, version 3.20* Love this app, been using it for years and my only issue is that even with my brightness on the lowest setting with night shift on to tint the blue light into warm: opening the app at night in a dark room feels like setting off the white hot intensity of a thousand suns straight into my corneas 😵‍💫 Other than that love the application and can’t find any other qualms ### 5/5 — Love this app *2026-06-26, version 3.20* I’ve used Penzu for years and couldn’t be without it. I use the app and use it on my laptop too. It’s really easy to use, to create separate journals, and I love that it is private and customer support is really good too. ### 5/5 — Love it *2026-06-17, version 3.20* Awesome tool to keep track of your writing. ### 5/5 — Best ever *2026-06-12, version 3.20* Been using this platform for nearly 10 years. It has helped me move through some of my deepest healing moments ### 5/5 — Fantastic app *2026-06-09* No unnecessary bells and whistles. Just works! Great for mental health (to journal regularly). The access to the app and the website is nice. The sync is sometimes wonky but I can live with it. Kudos to the team! ### 5/5 — Love this app *2026-06-07, version 3.20* Have been using this app for years, I love it my content is super safe and secure, a good way to reflect on your past. ### 5/5 — Best app for journaling *2026-05-19, version 3.20* Best and always available for either great journal or thoughts and it reminds you from time to time of days from the past and sometimes those posts just hit different years later ### 5/5 — Been using for years *2026-05-18, version 3.20* I’ve been using Penzu for many years. I think it works great I’ve never had an issue. Simple, just the way I prefer. ### 5/5 — Excellent App *2026-05-18, version 3.20* This app really helped me through some mental health issues. I appreciate it’s being so easy to use and always there for me. --- *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 2026-08-31.*