# Calligraphy Penmanship vs Handwriting Practice App

The clearest difference is ads: Calligraphy Penmanship at none against Handwriting Practice App's shown. Calligraphy Penmanship also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 27%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Handwriting Practice App's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy Penmanship sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Handwriting Practice App sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Calligraphy Penmanship against 4.4 for Handwriting Practice App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 843 and 682 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Calligraphy Penmanship's written reviews are positive against 27% of Handwriting Practice App's.

Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, Handwriting Practice App monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Penmanship | Handwriting Practice App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (843 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-penmanship/id1114008183/reviews) | [4.4 (682 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-practice-app/id1567948511/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **843** | 682 |
| Positive reviews | **55.8% of reviews** | 26.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) | [Lidwien Veugen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448601467) |

## What reviewers say

### Calligraphy Penmanship

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-penmanship/id1114008183)

Create digital calligraphy artworks with a realistic pointed pen experience. Adjust pressure and smoothness for elegant shades and fine strokes. Learn and practice lettering with guided exercises and decorative elements.

**Highlights:** Realistic pointed pen simulation, Adjustable pressure and smoothness, Stroke-by-stroke learning exercises, Letter tracing with guide lines, Ornamental frame creation, Text typing with embellishments, Gradient and alternated color effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Old School French Cursive Hand | $1.99 | one-time |
| Copperplate Hand | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock tools and 6 basic alphabets | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing calligraphy
- 💡 Variety of fonts and styles
- 🚀 Responsive with Apple Pencil
- 😊 Enjoyable and relaxing to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lag and delay when writing
- 💰 Paid version required to access full features
- 🤔 Unclear trial period and payment model
- 👨‍🦰 Not very user-friendly for left-handed users

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and app freezes
- Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
- Incompatibility with certain devices and iOS versions

**Requested features**

- More font and style options
- Ability to move and resize letter guides
- Improved pressure sensitivity and responsiveness
- Option to switch sidebar to right side for lefties


### Handwriting Practice App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-practice-app/id1567948511)

Master cursive and improve your handwriting with this fun and interactive app. Practice various lettering styles and fonts with step-by-step tutorials and augmented reality projection. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists looking to enhance their penmanship and create beautiful designs.

**Highlights:** Cursive font practice, Hand lettering styles, Step-by-step tracing tutorials, Augmented reality tracing projector, Inspirational quotes and designs, Offline font access, Custom text input (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hand Lettering & Tracing PRO | $3.99 | per month |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice PRO | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $4.99 | per month |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice PRO | $19.99 | per year |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $19.99 | per year |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $34.99 | one-time |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice | $39.99 | one-time |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with handwriting
- 👍 Good for learning fonts
- 👍 Inspires creative flow
- 👍 Fun and therapeutic
- 👍 Great for lettering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Money scheme/Rip off
- 💰 Too many ads
- 💰 Limited free letters
- 💰 Expensive premium
- 💰 Not worth the cost

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot open after purchase
- Fonts do not appear
- Inspiration page has swear word
- App crashes or doesn't open

**Requested features**

- More font choices
- Add own text block
- Practice letters multiple times
- Save favorite fonts
- Make more letters free


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy Penmanship free?

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

### Is Handwriting Practice App free?

Handwriting Practice App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Penmanship or Handwriting Practice App?

Calligraphy Penmanship and Handwriting Practice App are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 843 and 682 ratings respectively.

### Do Calligraphy Penmanship or Handwriting Practice App have ads?

Handwriting Practice App shows ads; Calligraphy Penmanship does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Penmanship or Handwriting Practice App?

Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, and Handwriting Practice App monthly. Most recently, Calligraphy Penmanship was updated on September 18, 2026 and Handwriting Practice App on September 23, 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.*