# Penman vs Quarterdeck Pro

The clearest difference is rating: Quarterdeck Pro at 5.0 against Penman's 4.1. Quarterdeck Pro also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Penman's advantage is ratings volume (252 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penman sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Quarterdeck Pro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Quarterdeck Pro holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penman has 252 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, Quarterdeck Pro every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penman | Quarterdeck Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quarterdeck-pro/id6771419870/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **252** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 57.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 104 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SER_INT](https://appshunter.io/developer/525443615) | [Dylan Dalmeida](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896780073) |

## What reviewers say

### Penman

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penman-ai-note-taker/id1434184098)

Effortlessly convert spoken words into text notes in over 120 languages using advanced speech-to-text technology. Enhance your writing with AI-powered actions and organize your notes with a powerful, intuitive editor. Sync securely across devices and export your work in various formats.

**Highlights:** Speech to text transcription, AI-powered writing enhancements, Intuitive text editor, Note organization and categorization, Cross-device iCloud sync, Export to PDF, TXT, Image, HTML, Multiple language support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Discount Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Penman Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Discount Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| 6 Months Penman Premium | $16.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Voice to Text plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Speech to Text Live | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Speech Voice to Text | $29.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $29.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $39.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Voice to Text | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate speech-to-text transcription
- ⚡ Fast and efficient note-taking
- 🎨 Beautiful, intuitive UI design
- 🌍 Supports multiple languages
- 📱 Easy text export to various formats

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 💾 Data loss and disappearing text issues
- 🔄 Unreliable syncing across devices
- ⏸️ Recording stops when phone sleeps
- ❌ Inconsistent speech-to-text accuracy

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during use
- Text disappears without user action
- Transcription halts when device enters sleep mode
- iCloud sync failures between devices
- Notes deleted when free trial expires

**Requested features**

- Persistent highlighting tool color selection
- Export to Markdown (.md) format
- Custom photo book covers
- More font options
- Ability to keep handwritten notes without conversion


### Quarterdeck Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quarterdeck-pro/id6771419870)

This app serves as a centralized workspace for professionals to manage tasks, notes, code snippets, finances, and projects. It offers features like priority task management, rich text notes, financial tracking, and project oversight, all synced across devices.

**Highlights:** Task management with priorities and deadlines, Rich text note-taking, Finance tracking for income and expenses, Code snippet storage, Project management, iCloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $89.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penman free?

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

### Is Quarterdeck Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Penman or Quarterdeck Pro?

Quarterdeck Pro is rated higher. Penman averages 4.1 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while Quarterdeck Pro averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Penman or Quarterdeck Pro have ads?

Neither Penman nor Quarterdeck Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penman or Quarterdeck Pro?

Penman ships an update every 2 weeks, and Quarterdeck Pro every 5 days. Most recently, Penman was updated on November 2, 2026 and Quarterdeck Pro on October 31, 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.*