# PenCake vs Mainichi Routine

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mainichi Routine at daily against PenCake's monthly. PenCake's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PenCake sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Mainichi Routine sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PenCake ships an update monthly, Mainichi Routine daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PenCake | Mainichi Routine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencake-minimal-writing-app/id1382218014/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **121** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 102 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Diffathy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1364621226) | [Famulite Lab. LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579536267) |

## 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 |


### Mainichi Routine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainichi-routine/id6802510079)

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| テーマ「ミント」 | $0.49 | one-time |
| テーマ「ラベンダー」 | $0.49 | one-time |
| テーマ「よぞら」 | $0.49 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PenCake free?

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

### Is Mainichi Routine free?

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

### Do PenCake or Mainichi Routine have ads?

Neither PenCake nor Mainichi Routine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PenCake or Mainichi Routine?

PenCake ships an update monthly, and Mainichi Routine daily. Most recently, PenCake was updated on October 29, 2026 and Mainichi Routine on October 9, 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.*