# MakePass vs Penedex

MakePass and Penedex both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Penedex's written reviews are positive against 46% of MakePass's. MakePass's advantage is ratings volume (288 vs 16). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MakePass sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Penedex sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for MakePass against 4.3 for Penedex. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MakePass has 288 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of MakePass's written reviews are positive against 75% of Penedex's.

MakePass ships an update monthly, Penedex every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MakePass | Penedex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (288 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makepass-ai-wallet-editor/id1450989464/reviews)** | [4.3 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penedex/id1535416271/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **288** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 45.9% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 26 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pedro Jose Pereira Vieito](https://appshunter.io/developer/931232010) | [Connor Rose](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535416273) |

## What reviewers say

### MakePass

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makepass-ai-wallet-editor/id1450989464)

Create and personalize digital passes for your Apple Wallet with AI-powered design and advanced editing tools. Import barcodes from various formats, set location and time awareness for automatic display, and integrate with iOS Shortcuts for automation.

**Highlights:** AI-powered design from photos, Versatile pass creation from scratch or import, Extensive customization options, Support for multiple barcode formats, Location and time-based pass display, iOS Shortcuts integration

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MakePass Pro (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| MakePass Pro (Yearly) | $9.99 | per year |
| MakePass Ultra (Yearly) | $16.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Creates professional-looking wallet passes easily
- 🤖 AI integration simplifies pass creation from images
- 📱 Works seamlessly with iOS Shortcuts for automation
- 🎨 Highly customizable pass designs and layouts
- ⚡ Fast and intuitive for basic pass creation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model with limited free features
- 🚫 Requires subscription for most functionality
- 😤 Switched from paid app to subscription-based model
- 🔐 Lost features after subscription transition
- ❌ No free trial or preview before purchase

**Reported bugs**

- Shortcuts integration loses text in header, front, and back fields
- Pass creation fails silently without error messages
- Barcode import doesn't work for many card types
- QR codes render unreadably for large payloads
- Passes don't display correctly on Apple Watch (blank except title)

**Requested features**

- Free trial or preview mode before subscription
- Monthly subscription option (not just yearly)
- Ability to add custom images/logos to passes
- Support for more barcode formats (Code 11, 25, 39, 93, UPC-A)
- Resizable QR codes


### Penedex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penedex/id1535416271)

Easily manage your pen and ink collections, track inked pens, and identify those needing cleaning. Catalog details like material, nib size, and ink characteristics. Includes a wishlist and pen show calendar.

**Highlights:** Create pen, ink, and currently inked entries, Track pen and ink combinations, Catalog pen details (material, nib size, photos), Quantify ink characteristics (dry time, sheen), Identify pens needing cleaning, Wishlist for grail pens and inks, International pen show calendar

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Access | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Access | $9.99 | per year |
| Alternate Icon Unlock - King | $3.00 | one-time |
| Ice Out Icon | $3.00 | one-time |
| Alternate Icon MN | $3.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MakePass free?

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

### Is Penedex free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MakePass or Penedex?

MakePass is rated higher. MakePass averages 4.4 out of 5 from 288 ratings, while Penedex averages 4.3 from 16 ratings.

### Do MakePass or Penedex have ads?

Neither MakePass nor Penedex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MakePass or Penedex?

MakePass ships an update monthly, and Penedex every 5 weeks. Most recently, MakePass was updated on October 26, 2026 and Penedex on October 24, 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.*