# Penbook vs Drawing ▫

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penbook at 58% against Drawing ▫'s 24%. Penbook also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). Drawing ▫'s advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Drawing ▫ sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46K and 15K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Penbook's written reviews are positive against 24% of Drawing ▫'s.

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, Drawing ▫ every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penbook | Drawing ▫ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** | [4.1 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing/id1477986704/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **46K** | 15K |
| Positive reviews | **57.8% of reviews** | 23.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#112** | — |
| Size | 142 MB | 184 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) | [Vora Bhavik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1463934943) |

## What reviewers say

### Penbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295)

**Currently charting:** #112 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Create custom digital notebooks with a vast library of stationery or import your own PDFs for annotation. Write naturally with a stylus and organize your notes with dynamic features like live planners and searchable handwriting.

**Highlights:** Live Paper dynamic stationery, Over 400 stationery types, Import and annotate PDFs, Natural handwriting with stylus, Searchable handwritten notes, Shape recognition, Customizable notebook covers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penbook Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime (Loyalty) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Variety of customization options for notebooks
- 📝 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil
- 🗓️ Useful calendar integration
- 💡 Innovative features like washi tape and stickers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking feature
- 🔧 Glitchy zooming and ruler functionality
- 🧭 Poor notebook and page management
- 💰 Restrictive free version, expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Sticker resizing issues causing app freezes
- Ruler placement and alignment problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between pages
- Calendar sync not working as expected
- PDF import and annotation functionality not reliable

**Requested features**

- Allow custom notebook covers or images
- Add text box and typing capabilities
- Improve organization with folders or tags
- Provide more customization options for templates
- Implement a more intuitive undo/redo system


### Drawing ▫

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing/id1477986704)

Unleash your creativity with a versatile drawing and painting app. Explore a wide array of brushes, colors, and tools to sketch, paint, and design on your iPhone or iPad. Features include custom mandalas, coloring pages, and a dedicated kids' desk.

**Highlights:** 40+ handcrafted brushes, Millions of colors, Import and draw on pictures, Custom mandalas and coloring pages, Dedicated kids' desk, Apple Pencil and 3D Touch support

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

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drawing Apps Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Drawing Games Gold - Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Drawing Apps Premium Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| DrawingApp Premium Year France | $19.99 | per year |
| Drawing Games Gold - Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Drawing Apps Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Drawing App - Low Credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| AI Pad - 11 Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| AI Pad - 17 Credits | $14.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads and Popups | $16.99 | one-time |
| One Time Purchase Premium | $22.99 | one-time |
| Drawing App - Premium Credits | $29.99 | one-time |
| Drawing App One-time Purchase | $35.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great drawing experience
- 👍 Friendly app introduction
- 💡 Ability to draw on photos

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywall
- 🔍 Limited color and brush options in free version
- 🔍 Confusing navigation and lack of clear exit options

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings disappearing or not saving properly
- Undo/redo functionality not working as expected
- App freezing or crashing during use

**Requested features**

- More color and brush options
- Improved layering and editing tools
- Better save/load functionality
- Tutorials or in-app guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Is Drawing ▫ free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Penbook or Drawing ▫?

Penbook is rated higher. Penbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 46K ratings, while Drawing ▫ averages 4.1 from 15K ratings.

### Do Penbook or Drawing ▫ have ads?

Neither Penbook nor Drawing ▫ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penbook or Drawing ▫?

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, and Drawing ▫ every 2 weeks. Most recently, Penbook was updated on October 27, 2026 and Drawing ▫ on October 26, 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.*