Planner & Journal vs Penjo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Planner & Journal
This app offers a creative digital journaling and planning experience with a vast library of stickers, templates, and tools. It supports natural handwriting, doodling, and integrates with digital calendars for enhanced productivity and self-care tracking. New content and features are added monthly.
- Customizable digital studio
- Monthly content additions
- Calendar and habit trackers
- Natural handwriting and doodling
- Productivity method templates
- Import PDFs and photos
- Easy social media sharing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Zinnia is the most fun and creative way to keep a digital journal and planner. Enjoy calendars, trackers, stickers and more - with new content added every month. There are a couple of options to get you started: a free version with limited content, or a free 1 week trial with all the bells and whistles. After the trial, subscriptions with full content access are only $34.99/year. ZINNIA STUDIO • Zinnia has a custom-curated digital Studio • Ready-to-use journals • planners • trackers • stickers • washi tape • journal cards • frames • templates • more • Themed content collections for easy aesthetic journaling MONTHLY CONTENT ADDITIONS • New content added every month • New features added frequently MY STUFF • Save & organize your handmade designs, or your favorite selections from our Studio PRODUCTIVITY • Sync events to your digital calendars like Google Calendar • Customize your calendar to make sense for your schedule • Choose from a variety of templates and take control of your habits, goals, and time management • Practice Timeblocking, Kanban, Pomodoro, SMART goals, and other productivity methods with Zinnia’s templates and design tools MENTAL HEALTH • Schedule and stay on top of self-care • Use color coding, trackers, and other methods to help you focus • Write about your thoughts & feelings • Practice gratitude journaling FEELS REALISTIC • Handwrite naturally, just like paper and pen • Scribble-enabled • Sketch, doodle, and color with lifelike tools • Variety of writing instruments • Adjustable opacity, size, color DIGITAL PERKS • Undo • Resize objects and move them around • Send to back/front • Lock a layer in place • Crop and rotate • Auto-date templates with custom start date • …and more! FEATURED ARTISTS • Popular artists in the journaling community make exclusive Zinnia collections and share creative inspiration LINKING • Add external links to internet pages • Add internal links to journal pages • Your linked & tabbed Etsy planners are compatible IMPORT & NOTETAKING • Import PDFs and markup (yes, including Etsy journals!) • Import personal photos • Import notes: highlight & annotate (take a pic of your textbook, or import a pdf!) TUTORIALS & TIPS • Library of articles w/video tutorials & tips • Youtube & Instagram channels with tutorials and tips EASY SHARING • Share your creations directly to Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and other social networks * Save your spread as a PDF, archive or your method of choice * Ensure your journal is safe and sound with iCloud syncing = = = = = ZINNIA PREMIUM Use Zinnia Premium for free during the free 7-day trial. After the free trial, you will be automatically renewed to your selected subscription which you can cancel at any time. Paid subscriptions cost: $3.99 USD per week, $8.99 USD per month, or $34.99 USD per year. Prices are subject to change. Zinnia Premium automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. You may manage Zinnia Premium subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a Zinnia Premium subscription. = = = = = Privacy Policy http://pixiteapps.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use http://pixiteapps.com/terms-of-use/
Penjo
This app combines journaling, planning, and note-taking with a pencil-first interface. It offers powerful handwriting search, creative image tools, and seamless integration with calendars and reminders. Organize your thoughts and tasks with flexible layouts and personalized tools.
- Pencil-first writing and sketching
- Handwriting search and text conversion
- Calendar and reminders integration
- Creative image editing tools
- Customizable pen and tool picker
- Flexible page layouts
- iCloud sync across devices
Read full descriptionHide full description
Plan forward. Reflect backward. Create freely. Penjo is an Apple Pencil-first digital planner, journal, and diary for iPad and iPhone. Write freely on a clean page every day—backed by seamless Apple Calendar & Reminders integration, Apple Journaling Suggestions, and on-device handwriting search. Why Penjo? PLAN & ORGANIZE • Calendar & Reminders: Check today at a glance and stay on schedule with full Apple Calendar integration (including Google and Exchange sync). • Views that fit your routine: Flip through an entire year in one tap to spot patterns. Manage your schedule in Month and Week modes, or focus on today’s daily spread. • Private & Synced: Lock your thoughts and daily reflections behind Face ID / Touch ID. iCloud keeps your iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Vision Pro perfectly in sync. REFLECT & CREATE • Apple Pencil first: Write, sketch, and annotate natively. Build a custom toolset for daily note-taking, capture ideas instantly, and let Penjo auto-straighten your drawn lines. • Apple Journaling Suggestions: Relive your days with rich context. Privately add suggestions based on your photos, or use guided reflections as gratitude prompts. • Unrestricted canvas: Edit photos on the page, remove backgrounds, add space dynamically, and choose from dot, grid, or lined paper. FIND, REUSE & SHARE • Handwriting Search: On-device text recognition lets you instantly search your handwriting and image text. Never lose a brilliant idea again. • Native File Sharing: Export class notes or custom planner layouts as .penjo files. Friends, colleagues, or classmates can import them in one tap to reuse your templates or notes in their own journals. • Reusable Templates: Duplicate or move any sheet to another day, making it effortless to reuse your favorite custom digital notebook layouts. • Access & Export: Jump to today with Home Screen Widgets, or save pages and full journals as PDFs to archive, print, or share. Take Penjo Everywhere Penjo Unlimited keeps all your journals, notes, and templates perfectly in sync across your iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Vision Pro. Share custom .penjo layouts, unlock unlimited journals, access full calendar integration, and export pages to PDF. Family Sharing is available on monthly plans. Every day is a blank page. Make it yours. Questions? Every message gets a personal reply. support@penjoapp.com • penjoapp.com Privacy Policy: https://penjoapp.com/penjoappprivacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Penjo at none against Planner & Journal's shown. Penjo also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 59%). Planner & Journal's advantage is ratings volume (56K vs 274) and iOS requirement (15.5 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Planner & Journal sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Penjo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 — 4.6 for Planner & Journal against 4.7 for Penjo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Planner & Journal has 56K ratings behind it against 274, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Planner & Journal's written reviews are positive against 77% of Penjo's.
Planner & Journal ships an update every 3 weeks, Penjo every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Planner & Journal | Penjo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (56K ratings) | 4.7 (274 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | 76.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 56K — better | 274 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pixite Inc. | Zafer ARICAN |
Customer experience
Planner & Journal
Penjo
User reviews
Planner & Journal
From 56K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Versatile and customizable
- 🎨 Endless creative possibilities
- 🗓️ Helpful for planning and organization
- 🌟 Visually appealing templates and designs
- 🌐 Seamless sync across devices
Room to improve
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Limited free version with restrictions
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Lack of search and organizational features
- 🖌️ Room for improvement in drawing tools
Penjo
From 274 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration and handwriting experience
- 📅 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
- 💰 One-time lifetime purchase option (no subscriptions)
- 🎨 Clean, minimalist, and intuitive user interface
- ⚡ Fast and responsive performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable cloud sync across multiple devices
- 💳 Confusing payment model and paywall messaging
- 🔐 Missing security features like screen lock
- 📱 Limited macOS support (Intel Macs incompatible)
- 🎨 Limited customization options for colors and themes
Bugs and requests
Planner & Journal
Reported bugs
3 issues- Journal pages randomly disappearing or reverting
- Freezing and lagging when adding content
- Inconsistent behavior when resizing and positioning elements
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to draw straight lines
- Implement portrait mode and two-page spreads
- Allow more customization of templates and stickers
- Introduce offline access and local data storage
- Add more advanced planning and tracking features
Penjo
Reported bugs
13 issues- Cloud sync not working across devices despite paid subscription
- App crashes when using photo effects
- Calendar not syncing or displaying properly
- Notebooks disappearing or becoming unopenable
- Text boxes misaligning after app closure
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Bluetooth keyboard text appearing at bottom of screen
- Restore purchases button non-functional
- iCloud sync not automatic despite being enabled
- Family sharing not working on secondary Apple IDs
- Support page returning 404 errors
- Forced app updates without user consent
- Text selection tools unreliable on mobile devices
- Photo shape cutting requires specific upload order
Requested features
24 requests- Dark mode or black background option
- Screen lock/page lock to prevent accidental writing
- Apple Pencil advanced features (highlighter, squeeze, double-tap)
- Text formatting options (resize, color change for selected text)
- More page layout templates and line spacing options
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- Ability to convert handwriting to text
- Stickers and decorative elements for journaling
- Bullet point and to-do list functionality
- Google Drive and Google Tasks integration
- PDF annotation and file linking capabilities
- Folder and subfolder organization system
- Non-calendar-based notebook organization
- Weekly and monthly view options
- Automatic page creation at 50% capacity
- Customizable default text preferences
- Straight line drawing tool (like Procreate)
- Voice memo support
- Outlook calendar integration
- Book-style page turning interface
- Habit tracker and monthly review templates
- Daily prompt suggestions for journaling
- Emoji and motivational sticker packs
- Page thumbnails and quick navigation
- Hyperlinked navigation tabs
In-app purchases
Planner & Journal
- Zinnia Premium Weekly7 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Zinnia Premium7 Days trial$3.997 Days
- Zinnia Premium7 Days trial$8.991 Month
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Zinnia Premium Monthly$9.991 Month
- Zinnia Premium Monthly + Intro1 Month trial$9.991 Month
- Zinnia Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Zinnia Monthly Premium7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Zinnia Premium7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Zinnia Premium Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- SECRET DISCOUNT YEARLY7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Zinnia Premium1 Month trial$34.991 Year
- Zinnia Premium7 Days trial$34.991 Year
- Zinnia Premium Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Zinnia Yearly Premium7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Zinnia Premium Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
Penjo
- Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Pro Lifetime$39.99






