# Pen Run vs Pancake Art

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pancake Art at 72% against Pen Run's 35%. Pancake Art also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (19K vs 4.6K). Pen Run's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pen Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pancake Art sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pancake Art holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.6K and 19K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Pen Run's written reviews are positive against 72% of Pancake Art's.

Pen Run ships an update monthly, Pancake Art every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen Run | Pancake Art |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-run/id1423608757/reviews) | **[4.5 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pancake-art/id1490571442/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4.6K | **19K** |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | **72.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 128 MB | 224 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ketchapp](https://appshunter.io/developer/528065807) | [Tummy Games Doo Novi Sad](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497883695) |

## What reviewers say

### Pen Run

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-run/id1423608757)

Race your pen through challenging levels, avoiding obstacles and outmaneuvering opponents. Aim to reach as many levels as possible in this fast-paced competition.

**Highlights:** Race your pen, Avoid obstacles, Hit other players, Progress through levels, Competitive gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept and creative design
- 👍 Customizable pens and themes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔥 Excessive number of ads
- 🐛 Glitches and loading issues
- 🔍 Lack of multiplayer or online features

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes during races
- Unresponsive controls
- Freezing on loading screens

**Requested features**

- Add multiplayer mode
- Reduce ad frequency
- Improve overall performance and stability


### Pancake Art

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pancake-art/id1490571442)

Create and design unique pancake art, from emojis to creative figures, to impress customers and master culinary challenges. Unlock new patterns and recipes as you progress, and climb the leaderboard by scoring high points.

**Highlights:** Create emoji and artistic pancake designs, Complete unique customer orders, Unlock rare patterns and recipes, Climb the global leaderboard, Master pancake art skills

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Easter Pack | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing
- 👍 Fun and satisfying
- 👍 Relaxing and calming
- 👍 Teaches pancake making
- 👍 Colorful and visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🔋 Too many ads
- 👎 Limited user control and creativity
- 👎 Repetitive and boring gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes
- Pancake colors don't match the selected colors
- Levels repeat themselves unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Allow users to draw their own pancake designs
- Add more customization options for colors, shapes, etc.
- Introduce different gameplay modes and challenges
- Reduce ads or offer ad-free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen Run free?

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

### Is Pancake Art free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pen Run or Pancake Art?

Pancake Art is rated higher. Pen Run averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Pancake Art averages 4.5 from 19K ratings.

### Do Pen Run or Pancake Art have ads?

Pancake Art shows ads; Pen Run does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pen Run or Pancake Art?

Pen Run ships an update monthly, and Pancake Art every 4 weeks. Most recently, Pen Run was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pancake Art on November 5, 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.*