# Pencil Note vs Hands Off

The clearest difference is price: Hands Off at Free against Pencil Note's $0.99. Hands Off also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.4) and update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). Pencil Note's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Hands Off is free to download; Pencil Note costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hands Off holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Note has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pencil Note ships an update every 7 months, Hands Off monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Note | Hands Off |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-note/id1072833023/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-off-put-down-your-phone/id6745459798/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 168 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Magitech Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/327468781) | [Hudson Heavy Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727337256) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-note/id1072833023)

Create and organize digital sticky notes on a virtual bulletin board. Supports Apple Pencil for realistic writing and drawing with pressure sensitivity. Offers various paper types and pen colors for personalized notes.

**Highlights:** Digital bulletin board for notes, Apple Pencil support with pressure sensitivity, Four paper types and two pen colors, Finger eraser functionality, Organize and move notes freely, Split screen support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hands Off

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hands-off-put-down-your-phone/id6745459798)

This minimalist widget helps you break phone scrolling habits by providing customizable reminders. It aims to increase focus and presence without tracking or distractions. Reclaim your time and be more intentional with your device usage.

**Highlights:** Customizable reminders, Lock screen widgets, Home screen widgets, Personalized messages, No tracking or ads, Minimalist design

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Note free?

Pencil Note costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hands Off free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Note or Hands Off?

Hands Off is rated higher. Pencil Note averages 2.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Hands Off averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pencil Note or Hands Off have ads?

Neither Pencil Note nor Hands Off shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Note or Hands Off?

Pencil Note ships an update every 7 months, and Hands Off monthly. Most recently, Pencil Note was updated on October 11, 2026 and Hands Off on October 25, 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.*