# Selvy PenScript vs Whale

The clearest difference is rating: Whale at 4.5 against Selvy PenScript's 3.6. Whale also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). Selvy PenScript's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Whale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 120 and 312 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 66% and 66% positive.

Selvy PenScript ships an update monthly, Whale every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Selvy PenScript | Whale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/selvy-penscript/id1027637212/reviews) | **[4.5 (312 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whale-naver-whale-browser/id1374073304/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 120 | **312** |
| Positive reviews | 65.7% of reviews | **66.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 48 MB | 306 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SELVAS AI Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/333244716) | [NAVER Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/311867731) |

## What reviewers say

### Selvy PenScript

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/selvy-penscript/id1027637212)

Transform your handwritten notes into digital text with advanced AI recognition. Supports over 40 languages and various handwriting styles, offering a smooth and customizable input experience.

**Highlights:** Handwriting recognition, Supports over 40 languages, Cursive handwriting support, Specialized ink for beautification, Six ink color options, Smooth, continuous input

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✍️ Excellent handwriting recognition accuracy
- 🚀 Fast and responsive performance
- 💰 Free app with no ads
- 🌍 Supports multiple languages
- ⚙️ Adjustable recognition delay settings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- ⚠️ Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔒 Requires full keyboard access (privacy concerns)
- 📱 Poor performance on iPad Mini and iPad Pro
- 🪟 Floating keyboard mode has missing UI elements

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Keyboard not appearing or switching properly
- Floating keyboard missing buttons (backspace, enter, keyboard switcher)
- Language selection not working (only Japanese shows despite settings)
- Incompatible with iOS 15.1.1 and later

**Requested features**

- Dark mode support
- Larger writing area for iPad Pro
- Apple Pencil-only input mode (disable palm detection)
- Better punctuation and special character recognition
- Improved undo/redo functionality


### Whale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whale-naver-whale-browser/id1374073304)

This browser offers a fast and intuitive web browsing experience with cross-device synchronization. It features a unique quick search function and a convenient scrapbook for saving content, all while blocking intrusive ads. Enjoy a personalized and efficient way to access web content.

**Highlights:** Fast and intuitive design, Cross-device data synchronization, Quick search on screen, Convenient scrapbook, Ad blocking

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- ✨ Clean and beautiful design
- 🚀 Fast and reliable performance
- 🔗 Seamless PC and mobile integration
- 💡 Useful built-in features (Papago, calculator, memo)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- ⚠️ Ad blocker not working effectively
- 🐌 Slow loading times on some devices/websites
- 🚫 Certain features not working as expected (PiP, screen time, translation)
- 📱 Mobile version less optimized than desktop

**Reported bugs**

- Picture in Picture (PiP) not working
- Playback slider not working
- Hacker using the interface (potential security issue)
- Screen time not working
- UI issues with YouTube and Naver on iPad

**Requested features**

- Add simplified Chinese language support
- Add Turkish language support
- Add Japanese language support
- Improve text selection and copy-paste functionality
- Add a search feature for opened tabs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Selvy PenScript free?

Selvy PenScript is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Whale free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Selvy PenScript or Whale?

Whale is rated higher. Selvy PenScript averages 3.6 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while Whale averages 4.5 from 312 ratings.

### Do Selvy PenScript or Whale have ads?

Neither Selvy PenScript nor Whale shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Selvy PenScript or Whale?

Selvy PenScript ships an update monthly, and Whale every 2 weeks. Most recently, Selvy PenScript was updated on October 22, 2026 and Whale on October 29, 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.*