# Weekly Planner vs Penbook

The clearest difference is update cadence: Penbook at every 5 days against Weekly Planner's every 3 weeks. Weekly Planner's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (70% vs 57%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Weekly Planner sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Weekly Planner holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 45K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Weekly Planner's written reviews are positive against 57% of Penbook's.

Weekly Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, Penbook every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Weekly Planner | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weekly-planner-diary-notes/id1187285712/reviews)** | [4.5 (45K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 15K | **45K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.2% of reviews** | 57.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.7 GB | 136 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Legal Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1629338929) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### Weekly Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/weekly-planner-diary-notes/id1187285712)

Organize your life with a simple, visual weekly planner. Easily add appointments, to-do lists, and recurring events. Enjoy a minimalist approach to tracking tasks and priorities, similar to a paper planner but digital.

**Highlights:** Visual weekly calendar, To-do list creation, Add appointments and tasks, Recurring event scheduling, Notes section, Task completion checkmarks, Past and future event review

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PREMIUM 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| PREMIUM 1 year | $11.99 | per year |
| Textures (lifetime) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday designs (lifetime) | $1.99 | one-time |
| 3D Shapes (lifetime) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gradients (lifetime) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Art Lines (lifetime) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Weekly Planner PRO (lifetime) | $6.99 | one-time |
| PREMIUM for PRO (lifetime) | $11.99 | one-time |
| PREMIUM (lifetime) | $23.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Straightforward weekly layout
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Resembles a physical planner
- 🚀 Convenient digital format

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Recurring events can be buggy
- 🔍 Lack of search functionality
- 🔍 Limited sync and backup options
- 🔍 No ability to cross off completed tasks
- 🔍 Inability to change text color for different events

**Reported bugs**

- Recurring events sometimes disappear or duplicate
- Occasional data loss or entries not saving properly
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Add recurring events with end dates
- Implement a calendar view and search function
- Provide automatic iCloud/cloud sync between devices
- Include a checkbox or strikethrough option for completed tasks
- Allow custom text colors for different event types


### 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

**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 Weekly Planner free?

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

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Weekly Planner or Penbook?

Weekly Planner is rated higher. Weekly Planner averages 4.7 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Penbook averages 4.5 from 45K ratings.

### Do Weekly Planner or Penbook have ads?

Neither Weekly Planner nor Penbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Weekly Planner or Penbook?

Weekly Planner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, Weekly Planner was updated on September 25, 2026 and Penbook on September 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.*