# StretchPaper vs Penbook

The clearest difference is price: Penbook at Free against StretchPaper's $2.99. Penbook also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (46K vs 65). StretchPaper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 18.1). On review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Penbook is free to download; StretchPaper costs $2.99 up front. Penbook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. StretchPaper asks for nothing beyond the download.

Penbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penbook has 46K ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of StretchPaper's written reviews are positive against 58% of Penbook's.

StretchPaper ships an update every 3 weeks, Penbook every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StretchPaper | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stretchpaper/id1209617522/reviews) | **[4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **46K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **57.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Infinite State Machine Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/326246843) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### StretchPaper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stretchpaper/id1209617522)

Unleash your creativity on an expansive, virtually endless digital canvas. This app allows for detailed note-taking, intricate diagramming, and artistic expression without space constraints. Export your work in various formats, customize your tools, and enjoy a seamless drawing experience.

**Highlights:** Infinite canvas, Note-taking, Diagramming, Artistic drawing, Export as images/PDFs, Vector manipulation, Custom pen definitions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Infinite canvas/zoom
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Good for mind maps/brainstorming
- 💡 Useful for Apple Pencil
- 💡 Great for freehand flowcharts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Lost work/data loss
- 🐛 Poor palm rejection
- 🐛 Finger drawing issues
- 🐛 Export/share crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and lost all work
- App crashes when trying to share/export
- Paste function not working
- Undo doesn't go back far enough
- Delete then undo bug

**Requested features**

- Add 2-finger tap to undo
- Add 3-finger tap to redo
- Disable finger drawing/touch input
- Add ruler/scale feature
- Add shape detection


### 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 (7)**

| 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 | $39.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | 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 StretchPaper free?

StretchPaper costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StretchPaper or Penbook?

Penbook is rated higher. StretchPaper averages 3.8 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Penbook averages 4.5 from 46K ratings.

### Do StretchPaper or Penbook have ads?

Neither StretchPaper nor Penbook shows ads.

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

StretchPaper ships an update every 3 weeks, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, StretchPaper was updated on November 2, 2026 and Penbook on November 4, 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.*