# Tayasui Calligraphy vs Simple Sketchbook

The clearest difference is price: Tayasui Calligraphy at Free against Simple Sketchbook's $1.99. Tayasui Calligraphy also leads on ratings volume (261 vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). Simple Sketchbook's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 57%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Tayasui Calligraphy is free to download; Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99 up front. Tayasui Calligraphy sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Simple Sketchbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Tayasui Calligraphy against 4.3 for Simple Sketchbook. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tayasui Calligraphy has 261 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Tayasui Calligraphy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Simple Sketchbook's.

Tayasui Calligraphy ships an update monthly, Simple Sketchbook every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tayasui Calligraphy | Simple Sketchbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (261 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tayasui-calligraphy-cursive/id1480868354/reviews) | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-sketchbook/id6761445903/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **261** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 56.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#74** |
| Size | 131 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SKETCHES SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789604467) | [Duncan Pollock](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886679285) |

## What reviewers say

### Tayasui Calligraphy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tayasui-calligraphy-cursive/id1480868354)

Create beautiful calligraphy with realistic ink pens and brushes on your device. This app offers precise customization of drawing tools and an intuitive interface for elegant line work. Optimized for stylus input, it provides a smooth and detailed artistic experience.

**Highlights:** Realistic ink pens and brushes, Customizable tool settings, Intuitive and minimal interface, Optimized for stylus input, Elegant line and curve drawing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Weekly premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Yearly premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly premium | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Beautiful and simple design
- ✍️ Realistic ink simulation
- 🎨 Great for calligraphy and sketching
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🌟 High-quality art app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Shift to subscription model
- 🔒 Features locked behind subscription
- 💰 Previously purchased features now paid
- 👎 Unnatural UI
- 😩 Useless without subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Accidentally undoing when moving canvas
- App freezes with an error
- Default pen size is impractically large
- Difficulty panning without accidentally undoing
- No way to configure pen to only write

**Requested features**

- Add photos/files for tracing
- Turn off gestures
- Resize canvas
- Import image as a layer or background
- Select, move, copy & paste letterforms


### Simple Sketchbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-sketchbook/id6761445903)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

A digital sketchbook for iPad and iPhone that offers a clean, fast drawing experience without distractions. Create multiple sketchbooks with various paper styles, utilize layers, and import reference images. Export your work as high-resolution PNGs, PDFs, or timelapse videos.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free drawing interface, Multiple sketchbooks with custom paper styles, Multi-layer support with opacity and blend modes, Import reference images, Export pages as PNG or PDF, Generate timelapse videos of drawings, Face ID/Touch ID sketchbook lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tayasui Calligraphy free?

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

### Is Simple Sketchbook free?

Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tayasui Calligraphy or Simple Sketchbook?

Simple Sketchbook is rated higher. Tayasui Calligraphy averages 4.3 out of 5 from 261 ratings, while Simple Sketchbook averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Tayasui Calligraphy or Simple Sketchbook have ads?

Tayasui Calligraphy shows ads; Simple Sketchbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tayasui Calligraphy or Simple Sketchbook?

Tayasui Calligraphy ships an update monthly, and Simple Sketchbook every 9 days. Most recently, Tayasui Calligraphy was updated on October 29, 2026 and Simple Sketchbook on October 25, 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.*