Pencil Journaling vs Refill Calendar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pencil Journaling
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.
- Pen-compatible notebook
- Focus timer
- Over 50 journaling themes
- Daily habit notifications
- Minimalist UI
- Page sharing options
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A simple notebook with a timer that allows you to choose a theme and write in pen. It also includes features for journaling, such as a list of over 50 themes and app notifications that can be made into a daily habit. This is recommended when you want to concentrate on your thoughts and clear your head. * Notebooks that are compatible with Apple Pencil and other pens * Timer that allows you to focus on a certain time * Minimal UI that doesn't interfere with thinking * A list of topics about work, yourself, etc. that you don't have to worry about what to write about * App notifications to encourage habit formation Usage: - Decide on the device orientation (i.e. page orientation) and press the Add button. - Decide on a theme or title. - Set the time for the timer. - Choose your favorite pen. - Start the timer. - Now let's focus on writing! - While the timer is running, you can switch between pen, eraser, and lasso in the lower left corner of the screen. - The thumbnails in the page list can be resized by pinching in and out. Version 1.3: Page sharing (copy/print/save image, etc.) is now supported. Tap the Share button at the bottom right of the page and select the sharing option (sharing to external applications may not work properly). Version 1.2: Skipped Version 1.1: Double-tap of the Apple Pencil is now supported. If you enable "Use Apple Pencil Double Tap" in the settings, you can switch between pen and eraser by double-tapping the Apple Pencil while the timer is running (the toolbar in the lower left corner of the screen will be hidden and the lasso tool will not be available).
Refill Calendar
Organize your schedule with a weekly vertical planner that supports customization of date labels and refill images. This app is designed for handwriting input and is optimized for Apple Pencil use on iPads.
- Weekly vertical schedule layout
- Customizable refill images
- Adjustable date label position, size, and color
- Optimized for Apple Pencil
- Handwriting input support
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Handwritten schedule organizer application. Weekly vertical type starting on Monday. You can change the refill image to your favorite refill by preparing it. You can set the position, size, and color of date labels, etc. Note Event information in the calendar application will not be reflected. Use the Apple Pencil.
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Refill Calendar at 5.0 against Pencil Journaling's 4.1. Refill Calendar also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Pencil Journaling's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Refill Calendar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Journaling has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Pencil Journaling ships an update every 6 weeks, Refill Calendar every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Pencil Journaling | Refill Calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 14.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Masaru Suzuki | SHIN INABA |
Customer experience
Pencil Journaling
Refill Calendar
In-app purchases
Pencil Journaling
No in-app purchases
Refill Calendar
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pencil Journaling free?
Is Refill Calendar free?
Which has better reviews, Pencil Journaling or Refill Calendar?
Do Pencil Journaling or Refill Calendar have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pencil Journaling or Refill Calendar?
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