# AxNote vs Pencil

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AxNote at 50% against Pencil's 25%. AxNote also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). Pencil's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AxNote sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pencil sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AxNote holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of AxNote's written reviews are positive against 25% of Pencil's.

AxNote ships an update every 2 months, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AxNote | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 9 MB | 465 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jonathan Benjamin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667195856) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### AxNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/axnote-note-taking/id1532017999)

This app offers an intelligent canvas for note-taking, allowing users to generate summaries from text, handwriting, and audio recordings. It supports image annotation, data visualization with tables and charts, and handwriting conversion to typed text. Designed for Apple Pencil, it provides flexible layouts and on-device AI features.

**Highlights:** AI-powered summaries from text, handwriting, and audio, Audio transcription and topic exploration, Image and PDF annotation, Data visualization with tables and charts, Handwriting to typed text conversion, Apple Pencil integration, Customizable layouts

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AxNote+ | $24.99 | one-time |


### Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421)

Create beautiful notes, sketch ideas, and annotate PDFs with advanced ink tools and AI assistance. Convert handwriting to text, scan documents, and organize files seamlessly across cloud services. Enjoy a realistic ink-on-paper feel with stylus support.

**Highlights:** Advanced ink tools for writing and sketching, AI Assistant for summarization and translation, Handwritten notes to editable text conversion, Document scanning with automatic frame recognition, Cloud service integration for file management, Full-text search for PDFs, PDF reader with highlighting and read aloud

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All and AI Assistant | $2.99 | per month |
| GoodPencil Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AxNote free?

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

### Is Pencil free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AxNote or Pencil?

AxNote is rated higher. AxNote averages 4.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Pencil averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do AxNote or Pencil have ads?

Neither AxNote nor Pencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AxNote or Pencil?

AxNote ships an update every 2 months, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, AxNote was updated on October 6, 2026 and Pencil on October 11, 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.*