# Task Writer vs Pencil

The clearest difference is rating: Pencil at 4.0 against Task Writer's 3.0. Pencil also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). Task Writer's advantage is review sentiment (53% vs 25%) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Task Writer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $25.99 per year and Pencil sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pencil holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Task Writer's written reviews are positive against 25% of Pencil's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Task Writer ships an update every 3 months, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Task Writer | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/task-writer-touch-or-stylus/id1033888067/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **53.3% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 31 MB | 504 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joshua Lubins](https://appshunter.io/developer/962417660) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Task Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/task-writer-touch-or-stylus/id1033888067)

Handwrite tasks, to-do lists, or even draw them as pictures without needing a keyboard. Get precise minute-by-minute notifications for due dates. Works with a stylus or your finger.

**Highlights:** Handwritten input, Draw tasks as pictures, Minute-level notifications, Stylus or finger input, Multi-language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $25.99 | per year |
| Remove Advertisements | $59.99 | one-time |


### Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421)

Create beautiful notes, sketch ideas, and annotate PDFs with advanced ink tools and AI assistance. Convert handwriting to text, scan documents, and organize files seamlessly across cloud services. Enjoy a realistic ink-on-paper feel with stylus support.

**Highlights:** Advanced ink tools for writing and sketching, AI Assistant for summarization and translation, Handwritten notes to editable text conversion, Document scanning with automatic frame recognition, Cloud service integration for file management, Full-text search for PDFs, PDF reader with highlighting and read aloud

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All and AI Assistant | $2.99 | per month |
| GoodPencil Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Task Writer free?

Task Writer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pencil free?

Pencil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Task Writer or Pencil?

Pencil is rated higher. Task Writer averages 3.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Pencil averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Task Writer or Pencil have ads?

Neither Task Writer nor Pencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Task Writer or Pencil?

Task Writer ships an update every 3 months, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, Task Writer was updated on October 9, 2026 and Pencil on October 24, 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.*