# Fresh Thoughts vs PenX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fresh Thoughts at none against PenX's 4. PenX's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 61 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PenX sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Fresh Thoughts asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fresh Thoughts ships an update every 61 months, PenX every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fresh Thoughts | PenX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 61 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 26 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alphaved Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473806249) | [志毅 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529215076) |

## What reviewers say

### Fresh Thoughts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fresh-thoughts/id1474804696)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PenX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penx-structured-notes-app/id6745962671)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO member | $4.99 | per month |
| PRO + AI member | $9.99 | per month |
| PRO member | $39.99 | per year |
| PRO + AI member | $79.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fresh Thoughts free?

Fresh Thoughts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PenX free?

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

### Do Fresh Thoughts or PenX have ads?

Neither Fresh Thoughts nor PenX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fresh Thoughts or PenX?

Fresh Thoughts ships an update every 61 months, and PenX every 2 days. Most recently, Fresh Thoughts was updated on October 2, 2026 and PenX on September 30, 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.*