# CrewBeacon vs Penbook

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CrewBeacon at none against Penbook's 22. CrewBeacon also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.1). Penbook's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. CrewBeacon asks for nothing beyond the download.

CrewBeacon ships an update every 5 months, Penbook every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CrewBeacon | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **46K** |
| Positive reviews | — | 57.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 27 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Crew Beacon LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1138446453) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### CrewBeacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crewbeacon/id1138446454)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Penbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295)

Create custom digital notebooks with a vast library of stationery or import your own PDFs for annotation. Write naturally with a stylus and organize your notes with dynamic features like live planners and searchable handwriting.

**Highlights:** Live Paper dynamic stationery, Over 400 stationery types, Import and annotate PDFs, Natural handwriting with stylus, Searchable handwritten notes, Shape recognition, Customizable notebook covers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penbook Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime (Loyalty) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Variety of customization options for notebooks
- 📝 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil
- 🗓️ Useful calendar integration
- 💡 Innovative features like washi tape and stickers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking feature
- 🔧 Glitchy zooming and ruler functionality
- 🧭 Poor notebook and page management
- 💰 Restrictive free version, expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Sticker resizing issues causing app freezes
- Ruler placement and alignment problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between pages
- Calendar sync not working as expected
- PDF import and annotation functionality not reliable

**Requested features**

- Allow custom notebook covers or images
- Add text box and typing capabilities
- Improve organization with folders or tags
- Provide more customization options for templates
- Implement a more intuitive undo/redo system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CrewBeacon free?

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

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Do CrewBeacon or Penbook have ads?

Neither CrewBeacon nor Penbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CrewBeacon or Penbook?

CrewBeacon ships an update every 5 months, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, CrewBeacon was updated on October 19, 2026 and Penbook on November 1, 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.*