Comparison

PenCake vs Typing

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

Head to head
About

PenCake

A minimalist writing app designed for focused journaling, storytelling, and personal expression. Enjoy a distraction-free interface with elegant typography and seamless cross-device syncing. Secure your work with auto-save and biometric protection.

Highlights
  • Distraction-free interface
  • Elegant typography
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Auto-save and version history
  • Markdown support
  • Organized by Stories
Features
Read full description

A beautifully minimal space for your thoughts. Pencake helps you focus on your words—whether you’re writing a journal, a story, or something just for yourself. Since 2018, more than 2.3 million writers have chosen Pencake as their space to write in peace. Its clean, distraction-free interface helps you focus entirely on your words. No clutter, no noise—just you and your story. With elegant typography and smooth spacing, writing on Pencake feels as natural and beautiful as writing in a real book. Minimalist, yet powerful - Clean and aesthetically refined interface - Designed to enhance focus and creativity - Beautiful fonts and themes that suit your mood Writing made effortless - Start writing instantly with an intuitive experience - Enjoy smooth performance even with long-form writing - Stay organized with “Stories” that group related entries Write anywhere, anytime - Sync your work seamlessly across all your devices - Continue writing wherever inspiration strikes Safe and secure writing - Auto-save, version history, and trash recovery - Face ID / Touch ID protection Built for real writers - Supports Markdown for flexible formatting - Word and character count, image insertion, and preview mode - Ideal for all kinds of writing—journaling, blogging, novel writing, and fanfiction Whether you're an aspiring writer or just someone who loves writing in peace, Pencake offers a simple yet inspiring place to put your thoughts into words. * Some features such as auto-sync, desktop access, themes, and advanced fonts are available through Premium. --- - Official website: https://pencake.app/ - Desktop app: https://pencake.app/download/desktop/ - FAQs: https://pencake.app/faq/ - Format text: https://pencake.app/guide/markdown/ - Email: pencake.app@gmail.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pencakeapp - X (Twitter): https://x.com/pencakeapp Please help translate into your language. https://crowdin.com/project/pencake Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pencake.app/privacy/

About

Typing

Capture and retain important words, quotes, or ideas encountered daily. This app allows you to type and save these valuable pieces of text, helping them to become memorable and deeply ingrained.

Highlights
  • Type and save text
  • Capture important words
  • Save memorable quotes
  • Engrave text in your heart
  • Aid memory retention
Features
Read full description

Type it down to remember it. We come across many words in a day, but we can't remember them all.
 Do you have a quote that you want to hold onto in your heart?
 Don't let any good quotes slip away. 
Now, type them out and engrave them in your heart. As you write, let them also sink into your soul. So, take a moment, type them out with care, and engrave them in our hearts.

Screenshots

PenCake4 screens
Typing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Typing at 5.0 against PenCake's 4.3. Typing also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). PenCake's advantage is ratings volume (121 vs 7) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.2). On price, ads and device support 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. PenCake sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Typing asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Typing holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PenCake has 121 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of PenCake's written reviews are positive against 94% of Typing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PenCake ships an update monthly, Typing every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PenCake versus Typing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPenCakeTyping
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (121 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.9% of reviews94.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings121 — better7
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB78 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDiffathy, Inc.Dongwon Ahn

Customer experience

PenCake

All ratings106 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral4.7%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews284 reviews
Positive85.9%
Neutral7.0%
Negative7.0%

Typing

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive94.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.0%

In-app purchases

13 purchases

PenCake

Subscriptions3
  • Tip the Developer (Subs)$1.491 Month
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$6.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$9.991 Year
One-time10
  • Tip the Developer$0.99
  • Upgrade to Premium$1.99
  • Tip the Developer$2.99
Show 7 more
  • Upgrade to Premium$2.99
  • Upgrade to Premium$3.99
  • Upgrade to Premium$5.99
  • Tip the Developer$9.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$15.99
  • Upgrade to Premium Lifetime$19.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$23.99
None

Typing

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PenCake free?
PenCake is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Typing free?
Typing is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PenCake or Typing?
Typing is rated higher. PenCake averages 4.3 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while Typing averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do PenCake or Typing have ads?
Neither PenCake nor Typing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PenCake or Typing?
PenCake ships an update monthly, and Typing every 2 weeks. Most recently, PenCake was updated on October 24, 2026 and Typing on October 16, 2026.

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