Comparison

Penned vs AudioAid

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Penned

A minimalist handwriting app designed for privacy, keeping all your notes securely on your device. It features natural writing with Apple Pencil, on-device AI text recognition, and smart tagging for easy searching. Export your notes as PDFs in a clean, distraction-free interface.

Highlights
  • Natural Apple Pencil writing
  • On-device AI text recognition
  • 100% private, no cloud
  • Export beautiful PDFs
  • Smart tagging and search
  • Distraction-free interface
Features
Read full description

Your thoughts deserve privacy. Penned Notes is a minimalist handwriting app that keeps everything on your device. - Natural Apple Pencil writing - AI text recognition (on-device) - 100% private - zero cloud required - Export beautiful PDFs - Smart tagging & search - Clean, distraction-free interface Unlike other note apps, Penned Notes uses Apple's Neural Engine to recognize your handwriting locally and nothing leaves your device. No accounts, no tracking, no subscriptions to complex features you don't need. Perfect for: - Daily journaling - Class notes & studying - Meeting notes - Sketches & brainstorming - Sensitive work documents Privacy-first architecture means your notes stay truly yours. Download Penned Notes.  Where your thoughts are penned, not surveilled.

About

AudioAid

Features
Read full description

AudioAid is a note-taking app for recording engineers. Use AudioAid to track markers and take quick notes about which takes should be kept in your final edit. When you start recording on your computer or recording device, tap 'Record' in AudioAid to start tracking the recording time. AudioAid doesn't record audio but is instead a note-taking tool for tracking markers and creating notes about your recording session. Keep the timer running while you record. The closer you keep AudioAid running with your DAW, the more accurate the time stamps will be on the saved markers. After the recording is started, the "Add Marker" button will be enabled and turn green. Tap the "Plus" sign to add a marker. You can add a custom title or keep the generic 'Take...' title. Quick snippets of text allow for very quick note entry. You can also enter more detailed notes now or later. The markers start time is saved, and the duration will be calculated when you add the next marker. Use the toggles to mark which markers are to be saved. AudioAid comes with a collection of text snippets for taking quick notes, organized in categories for music, podcasts, and miscellaneous. Custom notes and categories may be added in the 'Settings' tab. The initial quick notes may also be deleted. The buttons for adding notes may be used to append text or remove text from the notes for each marker. Use the share button to send text via the share sheet. By default, only the saved markers will be shared. If you prefer to send all markers, you can change that in Settings. The share button is available on the main screen, and in the session details in the 'Log' tab. Have a great recording session!

Screenshots

Penned4 screens
AudioAid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Penned at every 2 months against AudioAid's every 8 months. Penned also leads on iOS requirement (16.6 vs 26.0). AudioAid's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Penned costs $4.99 and AudioAid $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Penned ships an update every 2 months, AudioAid every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Penned versus AudioAid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPennedAudioAid
Price$4.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.6 (87 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings87 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 8 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEdwing H Santos MenaAdam Ballif

In-app purchases

None

Penned

No in-app purchases

None

AudioAid

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Penned free?
Penned costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AudioAid free?
AudioAid costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Penned or AudioAid have ads?
Neither Penned nor AudioAid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Penned or AudioAid?
Penned ships an update every 2 months, and AudioAid every 8 months. Most recently, Penned was updated on October 10, 2026 and AudioAid on October 1, 2026.

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