# PenCake vs 灵光纸条

The clearest difference is ratings volume: PenCake at 121 against 灵光纸条's 2. PenCake also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 75%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). 灵光纸条's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PenCake sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and 灵光纸条 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

灵光纸条 holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PenCake has 121 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of PenCake's written reviews are positive against 75% of 灵光纸条's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PenCake ships an update monthly, 灵光纸条 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PenCake | 灵光纸条 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencake-minimal-writing-app/id1382218014/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6468341870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **121** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **85.9% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Diffathy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364621226) | [Shenzhen Poplab Technology Co. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1330153351) |

## What reviewers say

### PenCake

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencake-minimal-writing-app/id1382218014)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip the Developer (Subs) | $1.49 | per month |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Tip the Developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Access | $15.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Access | $23.99 | one-time |


### 灵光纸条

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6468341870)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 年费会员 | $2.99 | per year |
| 永久会员 | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PenCake free?

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

### Is 灵光纸条 free?

灵光纸条 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PenCake or 灵光纸条?

灵光纸条 is rated higher. PenCake averages 4.3 out of 5 from 121 ratings, while 灵光纸条 averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do PenCake or 灵光纸条 have ads?

Neither PenCake nor 灵光纸条 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PenCake or 灵光纸条?

PenCake ships an update monthly, and 灵光纸条 every 2 weeks. Most recently, PenCake was updated on October 25, 2026 and 灵光纸条 on September 12, 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.*