Comparison

Paintwork vs HandyWrite

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Paintwork

Create handwritten notes, diaries, and drawings with a vast array of tools. Features include customizable brushes, vector graphics, a rich color palette, and image import. Export your creations as PDFs or images.

Highlights
  • Customizable brushes and erasers
  • Extensive vector graphics tools
  • Rich color palette
  • Image and material import
  • Handwriting assistance
  • PDF and image export
  • Customizable backgrounds and canvas
Features
Read full description

Paintwork is a simple and powerful software for handwritten notebooks, diaries, and hand drawn images. It includes functions such as: brush list (hundreds of brush effects, customizable brush thickness, color, transparency, dynamic strength weights, etc.), eraser list (each brush effect can be used as an eraser), Vector graphics tools (including lasso, vector eraser, vector pen, annotation pen, highlighter, wavy pen, double line pen, text box, illustration, dashed line, horizontal and vertical dashed line, curve, closed shape, text pen, rectangle, ellipse, straight line, arrow, triangle, pentagram, polygon, etc.), and also include many related attribute settings, Color list (with a rich color palette and customizable manual configuration of commonly used colors), copy and cut the content of specified areas on the page, import images or materials, as well as a simple calculator, handwriting assistance, and photo scanning of document files. Unlimited writing, ruler, recognition of text, printing of text, filling, and the ability to export PDF files or images. Supports custom background functionality, custom canvas paper, and more. It can be used to write for classroom or book learning notes, handwritten notes for work meetings, hand drawn mind maps, hand drawn account creation, hand made account book making, writing diaries, recording life thoughts, calligraphy practice, handwritten brush and pencil characters, hand drawn artistic characters, and so on. Supports Apple pencil. Can export images or PDFs. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to contact us. Contact email: pw_team@163.com If you like our application, please give us a good review. Thank you.

About

HandyWrite

Features
Read full description

This is a note-taking app designed specifically for handwriting, focused on delivering a natural, smooth, and paper-like writing experience. Whether you’re taking class notes, recording meeting ideas, sketching concepts, or capturing daily thoughts, everything can be written down effortlessly. The app supports high-precision handwriting with ultra-low latency, accurately capturing stroke thickness and writing details. Write freely, draw, highlight key points, and organize your notes in a way that feels intuitive and natural. Key Features • Realistic Handwriting Experience — Paper-like writing feel with smooth and responsive strokes • Multiple Pen Tools — Fountain pen, pencil, highlighter, and more • Free-Form Canvas — Unlimited space for writing and drawing without layout restrictions • Smart Organization — Organize notes with notebooks and tags for quick access • Export & Share — Export notes as images or PDFs for easy sharing and storage Whether you’re a student, professional, or someone who enjoys handwritten notes, this app becomes your personal digital notebook— capturing every idea clearly and preserving every written moment.

Screenshots

Paintwork4 screens
HandyWrite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HandyWrite at none against Paintwork's 3. Paintwork's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Paintwork sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. HandyWrite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Paintwork versus HandyWrite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaintworkHandyWrite
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (17K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings17K — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer伟典 苏俊柯 吴

Bugs and requests

Paintwork

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezing or crashing when using certain features
  • Artwork getting deleted or not saving properly
  • Inability to import or work with external images

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more color options and blending tools
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Provide more tutorials and onboarding for new users
  • Allow users to save and access their artwork easily

HandyWrite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Paintwork

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly subscription premium$0.991 Month
  • Annual subscription premium$3.991 Year
One-time1
  • Unlock local version$9.99
None

HandyWrite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Paintwork free?
Paintwork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HandyWrite free?
HandyWrite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Paintwork or HandyWrite have ads?
HandyWrite shows ads; Paintwork does not.

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