# Pocket Note vs Pencil Journaling

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pencil Journaling at none against Pocket Note's 1. Pencil Journaling also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 33%). Pocket Note's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pencil Journaling asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Pocket Note against 4.1 for Pencil Journaling. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 7 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Pocket Note's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pencil Journaling's.

Pocket Note ships an update every 2 months, Pencil Journaling every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Note | Pencil Journaling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819/reviews)** | [4.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-journaling/id1581410096/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 25 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) | [Masaru Suzuki](https://appshunter.io/developer/1581410098) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819)

Transform your device into a powerful business notepad. Quickly capture ideas with handwriting, typing, and rich media. Organize notes into groups and export them as images or PDFs for easy sharing and printing.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and typed input, Customizable pen sizes and colors, Paste photos and maps, Insert figures and lines, Export as image or PDF, Organize notes into groups, iCloud synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Note License | $3.99 | one-time |


### Pencil Journaling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-journaling/id1581410096)

This app offers a focused journaling experience with a pen-compatible notebook and a built-in timer. Choose from over 50 themes and set daily reminders to cultivate a writing habit. Its minimalist interface helps you concentrate on your thoughts and clear your mind.

**Highlights:** Pen-compatible notebook, Focus timer, Over 50 journaling themes, Daily habit notifications, Minimalist UI, Page sharing options

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Note free?

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

### Is Pencil Journaling free?

Pencil Journaling is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Note or Pencil Journaling?

Pocket Note is rated higher. Pocket Note averages 4.3 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Pencil Journaling averages 4.1 from 7 ratings.

### Do Pocket Note or Pencil Journaling have ads?

Both Pocket Note and Pencil Journaling show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Note or Pencil Journaling?

Pocket Note ships an update every 2 months, and Pencil Journaling every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Note was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pencil Journaling on October 15, 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.*