# Penbook vs Draw Widget

The clearest difference is ads: Penbook at none against Draw Widget's shown. Penbook also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). Draw Widget's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.1). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penbook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Draw Widget sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, Draw Widget monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penbook | Draw Widget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **46K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 143 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) | [ANIL TASKIRAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1487170823) |

## What reviewers say

### Penbook

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

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 (7)**

| 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 | $39.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | 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


### Draw Widget

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draw-widget-screen-notes/id6443763682)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Version | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Is Draw Widget free?

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

### Do Penbook or Draw Widget have ads?

Draw Widget shows ads; Penbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Penbook or Draw Widget?

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, and Draw Widget monthly. Most recently, Penbook was updated on November 5, 2026 and Draw Widget on November 3, 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.*