# Handwoven vs Ponderly

The clearest difference is monetization model: Ponderly at freemium against Handwoven's subscription. Ponderly also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 63%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). Handwoven's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (302 vs 60). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Handwoven sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Ponderly sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 — 4.9 for Handwoven against 4.8 for Ponderly. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handwoven has 302 ratings behind it against 60, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Handwoven's written reviews are positive against 89% of Ponderly's.

Handwoven ships an update every 5 months, Ponderly monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Handwoven | Ponderly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (302 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwoven/id1480296464/reviews)** | [4.8 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ponderly/id1493000395/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **302** | 60 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **88.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 83 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Long Thread Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480296463) | [4b](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493000394) |

## What reviewers say

### Handwoven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwoven/id1480296464)

Explore the world of handweaving with a digital magazine. Each issue offers projects, instructions, and inspiration to enhance your skills and design creativity. Stay updated with the latest trends and techniques in the handweaving community.

**Highlights:** Handweaving projects, Technical skill instruction, Design confidence building, Inspiration for weavers, Digital magazine format, Subscription access to current and future issues

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $2.49 | per month |
| One Year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| March-April 2019 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November-December 2019 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September/October 2020 | $7.99 | one-time |
| May/June 2021 | $7.99 | one-time |
| September/October 2022 | $7.99 | one-time |
| March/April 2023 | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Access to back issues
- 👍 Great magazine content
- 👍 Useful for learning weaving
- 👍 Good for finding patterns
- 👍 Digital subscription is joyful

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bookmarks losing photos
- 🐛 Bookmarks disappearing
- 🐛 Search function not sophisticated
- 🐛 Search doesn't find designer/yarn/loom
- 🐛 Bookmarking is pointless without photos

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open
- Bookmarks have no photos
- Bookmarks have disappeared
- Search function is useless/doesn't work
- No access since last update (requires subscription)

**Requested features**

- Improve search sophistication (designer, yarn, loom)
- Fix bookmark photos
- Allow printing of patterns


### Ponderly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ponderly/id1493000395)

Explore trending topics across 13 categories with a unique perspective. Share your thoughts, videos, and images with a community. Connect with like-minded individuals and earn points for engagement.

**Highlights:** Trending topic discovery, Content posting (text, video, GIF, image), Community engagement, User connection and friend suggestions, Follower system, Ponder points for rewards, Polls and article discussions

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $3.99 | per month |
| 1 Branch | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Branches | $3.99 | one-time |
| 22 Branches | $15.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Handwoven free?

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

### Is Ponderly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Handwoven or Ponderly?

Handwoven is rated higher. Handwoven averages 4.9 out of 5 from 302 ratings, while Ponderly averages 4.8 from 60 ratings.

### Do Handwoven or Ponderly have ads?

Ponderly shows ads; Handwoven does not.

### Which is updated more often, Handwoven or Ponderly?

Handwoven ships an update every 5 months, and Ponderly monthly. Most recently, Handwoven was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ponderly 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.*