Comparison

Calligraphy Penmanship vs String Art Designer

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

Head to head
About

Calligraphy Penmanship

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
Read full description

Most of penmen use only a pointed pen to create all their artworks. This seems incredible to realize digitally on a mobile device. Except if you have in hands the appropriate tool and an excellent app. Calligraphy Penmanship is bringing the best experience ever to calligraphers and letters lovers to create digital artworks on a famous mobile device. Just use it like a pointed ink pen. A tiny variation of your hand pressure will create elegant and majestic shades. We have added a bonus to your freehand drawing: the ability to adjust to your hand the pressure and smoothness of the pen. The fineness of the strokes is really surprising. We have found some advantages of the digital Penmanship: - You don't need to reload your pen with ink. - You don't need to clean your pen nibs when changing the colors. - The undo function let you create a great number of variation of a single stroke. Free your imagination without pain. Main features: - Flourished hands to learn and practice Penmanship. The most important technique to master is to push or pull your pencil in order to create thin and fat lines in one single stroke. - Learning: you can evaluate your progress with stroke by stroke exercises. Try your best to trace the models and hit the high scores. This is the best way to understand the anatomy of each letter. and each decorative curve. - Training: with each letter, a full training page provides models to trace, guide lines and grids. - Learn to decorate beautifully your lettering works. You can find simple patterns to trace, to change or to improve. With this updated version, you have the ability to create ornamental frames where to insert your works. Frame creating is based on a multiple combination of different types of symmetry drawing. This function is really easy to understand and practice. - Want to create your own lettering words and quotes ? Try out the text typing keyboard. How it works: type your text, validate, then trace them with embellishments and ornaments. - A set of plain color for your pen. But also two specific effects: gradient and alternated colors. This is on of our best deal for unique lettering creations. - A 3 day free trial is activated when you open the app for the first time. Enough time to have the pleasure to perform your lettering. What's your next project ? Why not sending a beautifully framed quote or invitation to a friend, entirely created with your lettering ? Warning: even you can draw with your fingers, this app offers the best experience with the Apple Pencil.

About

String Art Designer

Create intricate string art designs with various string types and modes. Transform photos into unique string art pieces. Offers in-app purchases for expanded features and unlimited string options.

Highlights
  • Math-String mode
  • Cyclic string type
  • Step string type
  • Custom string type
  • Portrait mode for photo art
  • In-app purchases for advanced features
Features
Read full description

String Art Designer makes possible to design string art with using various strings. Math-String mode Availabe string types: - cyclic string string will be hooked on pins with a specified cycle - verious step string string will be hooked on start/end pin which are moved by specified rule - custom string string will be hooked on specified pins Portrait mode make string art from photo In-App Purchase: - unlimited number strings for math-string mode - make string art from your photo (from Photo library) Note: A photo editing app would help to get better Portrait String Art

Screenshots

String Art Designer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Calligraphy Penmanship at 56% against String Art Designer's 0%. Calligraphy Penmanship also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (843 vs 2). String Art Designer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Calligraphy Penmanship sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and String Art Designer sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Calligraphy Penmanship holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calligraphy Penmanship has 843 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Calligraphy Penmanship's written reviews are positive against 0% of String Art Designer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, String Art Designer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Calligraphy Penmanship versus String Art Designer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalligraphy PenmanshipString Art Designer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (843 ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews55.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings843 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size306 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEtienne Nguyen Tan HonTomoaki Yagishita

Customer experience

Calligraphy Penmanship

All ratings843 ratings
Positive86.6%
Neutral4.3%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews113 reviews
Positive55.8%
Neutral8.0%
Negative36.3%

String Art Designer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Calligraphy Penmanship

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

String Art Designer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Calligraphy Penmanship

One-time3
  • The Old School French Cursive Hand$1.99
  • Copperplate Hand$1.99
  • Unlock tools and 6 basic alphabets$3.99
2 purchases

String Art Designer

One-time2
  • Unlimited String$5.99
  • PortraitArt$19.99

Questions

Is Calligraphy Penmanship free?
Calligraphy Penmanship is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is String Art Designer free?
String Art Designer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Penmanship or String Art Designer?
Calligraphy Penmanship is rated higher. Calligraphy Penmanship averages 4.4 out of 5 from 843 ratings, while String Art Designer averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Calligraphy Penmanship or String Art Designer have ads?
Neither Calligraphy Penmanship nor String Art Designer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Penmanship or String Art Designer?
Calligraphy Penmanship ships an update every 4 months, and String Art Designer every 2 months. Most recently, Calligraphy Penmanship was updated on September 18, 2026 and String Art Designer on September 14, 2026.

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