# Penbook vs Average Calculate

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penbook at 57% against Average Calculate's 0%. Penbook also leads on rating (4.5 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). Average Calculate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 22) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Average Calculate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Penbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penbook has 45K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Penbook's written reviews are positive against 0% of Average Calculate's.

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, Average Calculate every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penbook | Average Calculate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (45K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/average-calculate/id6467769034/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **57.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 136 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.1 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) | [Risako Asai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671273580) |

## 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

**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


### Average Calculate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/average-calculate/id6467769034)

This application is a specialized calculator designed exclusively for computing averages. It offers a straightforward way to find the mean of a set of numbers without the complexity of a full-function calculator.

**Highlights:** Calculates averages, Specialized for mean computation, User-friendly interface, Free to use

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Is Average Calculate free?

Average Calculate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Penbook or Average Calculate?

Penbook is rated higher. Penbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 45K ratings, while Average Calculate averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Penbook or Average Calculate have ads?

Neither Penbook nor Average Calculate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penbook or Average Calculate?

Penbook ships an update every 5 days, and Average Calculate every 2 months. Most recently, Penbook was updated on September 26, 2026 and Average Calculate on July 22, 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.*