Comparison

Pen Run vs Pencil Rush 3D

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

Head to head
About

Pen Run

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
Read full description

Drive your pen to win the race! Avoid obstacles, hit other players and reach as more levels as you can!

About

Pencil Rush 3D

Embark on a vibrant obstacle course adventure, tracing paths with a colorful pencil. Collect more pencils to expand your color palette while skillfully dodging hazards. Reach the finish line to reveal a stunning, colorful creation.

Highlights
  • Trace and race on obstacle courses
  • Collect colorful pencils
  • Dodge obstacles to avoid game over
  • Create colorful collections
  • Vibrant 3D graphics
Features
Read full description

This world needs a little color! Don’t you think? That’s why it’s time to liven things up in Pencil Rush 3D! How to play Pencil Rush 3D? 1. Open the app and pick up your tool – a colorful pencil. 2. Next, it’s time to take on the challenge. With your pencil in hand, trace and race your way along the obstacle course. 3. Add to your color collection by picking up more pencils along the run. Wow! 4. But, oh, no! You gotta avoid those obstacles. Hit them, and it’s game over! 5. Run and make it to the finish line. Look at that colorful collection. AMAZING! Don’t live in a world of gray! Play Pencil Rush 3D and color your day with the rainbow.

Screenshots

Pen Run4 screens
Pencil Rush 3D4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pencil Rush 3D at 4.6 against Pen Run's 4.0. Pencil Rush 3D also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (53% vs 35%). Pen Run's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.5). On price, update cadence 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. Pen Run sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pencil Rush 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pencil Rush 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Rush 3D has 44K ratings behind it against 4.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of Pen Run's written reviews are positive against 53% of Pencil Rush 3D's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pen Run ships an update monthly, Pencil Rush 3D every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Pen Run versus Pencil Rush 3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPen RunPencil Rush 3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4.6K ratings)4.6 (44K ratings) — better
Positive reviews35.4% of reviews52.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4.6K44K — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better12.5
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB235 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperKetchappGismart

Customer experience

Pen Run

All ratings4,575 ratings
Positive74.2%
Neutral7.0%
Negative18.9%
Written reviews311 reviews
Positive35.4%
Neutral16.1%
Negative48.6%

Pencil Rush 3D

All ratings43,961 ratings
Positive90.6%
Neutral4.0%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews502 reviews
Positive52.8%
Neutral14.5%
Negative32.7%

User reviews

Pen Run

From 4.6K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Pencil Rush 3D

From 44K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Satisfying art creation
  • 🌈 Colorful and visually appealing
  • 🕰️ Calming and relaxing gameplay

Room to improve

  • 💤 Repetitive painting options
  • 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
  • 🔁 Lack of new content/levels

Bugs and requests

Pen Run

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes during races
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Freezing on loading screens

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add multiplayer mode
  • Reduce ad frequency
  • Improve overall performance and stability

Pencil Rush 3D

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Glitches with special pencils
  • Coins/rewards not saving properly
  • Crashing or freezing issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • More unique painting options
  • Ability to create custom artwork
  • Reduced advertisements or paid ad-free version

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pen Run

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$2.99
None

Pencil Rush 3D

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pen Run free?
Pen Run is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pencil Rush 3D free?
Pencil Rush 3D is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pen Run or Pencil Rush 3D?
Pencil Rush 3D is rated higher. Pen Run averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4.6K ratings, while Pencil Rush 3D averages 4.6 from 44K ratings.
Do Pen Run or Pencil Rush 3D have ads?
Pencil Rush 3D shows ads; Pen Run does not.
Which is updated more often, Pen Run or Pencil Rush 3D?
Pen Run ships an update monthly, and Pencil Rush 3D every 5 weeks. Most recently, Pen Run was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pencil Rush 3D on November 8, 2026.

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