Comparison

DisplayNote App vs Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro

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

Head to head
About

DisplayNote App

Wirelessly share your iOS device's screen or content to a room display. Follow and annotate presentations, or share files, videos, and links with others. Control video playback directly from your device.

Highlights
  • Wireless screen sharing
  • Content sharing with attendees
  • Follow and annotate presentations
  • Video playback control
  • File sharing
Features
Read full description

Easily share content from your iOS device to a room display without having to pass cables or be on the same network as everyone else. Share your screen to the room display Follow and annotate on content from your device Share images, videos, links and files with other attendees Present videos and control playback from your device

About

Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro

This app merges your digital calendar with a handwritten planner experience. Use your stylus to write directly over digital events, offering the best of both worlds for scheduling and note-taking. Plan your days, weeks, and months with a natural writing feel.

Highlights
  • Handwritten notes over digital calendar events
  • Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly planning
  • Syncs with device calendars and reminders
  • Natural writing experience with stylus
  • Customizable pen colors, thickness, and styles
  • Undo/Redo and smart eraser tools
  • Cloud backup and sync
Features
Read full description

Write on your calendar with Apple Pencil. Pencil Planner brings the freedom of a paper planner to your digital calendar, so you can handwrite plans, highlight appointments, and take notes around the events already in your schedule. Plan on iPad, then check your calendar and handwritten plans on iPhone. Cloud backup and sync keep your planner and notes connected across devices. YOUR CALENDAR, WITH ROOM TO WRITE * See events from the calendars you use with Apple's Calendar app * Write directly over and around your calendar events * Bring tasks into your planner with Apple Reminders integration * Add handwritten priorities, time blocks, and sketches PLAN YOUR DAY, WEEK, MONTH, AND YEAR * Bring your schedule, tasks, and linked notes together in Day view * Plan your week, highlight important dates, and see the year ahead * With Version 2 layouts, schedule handwriting is shared between Day and Week, and daily highlights appear in Day, Week, and Month KEEP NOTES WITH YOUR PLANS * Create handwritten or typed notes for meetings, classes, projects, and ideas * Link notes to dates or calendar events and open them alongside your day * Organize notes into folders and pin your favorites * Add pages to handwritten notes with blank, lined, or dot-grid paper MAKE IT YOUR OWN * Write with Apple Pencil, Logitech Crayon, or your finger * Choose pens, pencils, and highlighters with adjustable colors and thickness * Move handwriting, erase whole strokes or parts of them, and undo or redo changes * Pinch to zoom for precise writing * Use light or dark mode in portrait, landscape, or Split View PRO ACCESS Unlock all planner features with a monthly or annual Pro Access subscription, including unlimited entries, storage, and devices, plus cloud backup and sync. Subscription prices and any available trial offers are shown in the app. QUESTIONS? Contact support@pencilplanner.app with questions or feature requests. Terms of use: https://pencilplanner.app/terms-of-use/

Screenshots

DisplayNote App4 screens
Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro at 4.6 against DisplayNote App's 2.1. Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro also leads on ratings volume (13K vs 21) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). DisplayNote App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. DisplayNote App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro has 13K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of DisplayNote App's written reviews are positive against 43% of Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DisplayNote App ships an update every 2 months, Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DisplayNote App versus Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDisplayNote AppPencil Planner & Calendar Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (21 ratings)4.6 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better42.6% of reviews
Number of ratings2113K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDisplayNote Technologies LtdWasdesign, LLC

Customer experience

DisplayNote App

All ratings21 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro

All ratings12,576 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.7%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews514 reviews
Positive42.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative46.5%

Bugs and requests

DisplayNote App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Notes randomly disappearing
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Pen/eraser functionality bugs
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Layout/UI issues (overlapping elements, unresponsive controls)

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more customization options (themes, fonts, etc.)
  • Integrate with Reminders app
  • Allow typed text input in addition to handwriting
  • Improve syncing and backup functionality
  • Add ability to insert images, PDFs, and other files

In-app purchases

None

DisplayNote App

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly1 Year trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is DisplayNote App free?
DisplayNote App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro free?
Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DisplayNote App or Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro?
Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro is rated higher. DisplayNote App averages 2.1 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro averages 4.6 from 13K ratings.
Do DisplayNote App or Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro have ads?
Neither DisplayNote App nor Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DisplayNote App or Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro?
DisplayNote App ships an update every 2 months, and Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro every 2 weeks. Most recently, DisplayNote App was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro on October 27, 2026.

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