# Calligraphy Penmanship vs String Art Designer

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Penmanship | String Art Designer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (843 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-penmanship/id1114008183/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/string-art-designer/id1571012274/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **843** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **55.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) | [Tomoaki Yagishita](https://appshunter.io/developer/387622096) |

## 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


### String Art Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/string-art-designer/id1571012274)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited  String | $5.99 | one-time |
| PortraitArt | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*