# Pencil Calendar vs PlannerMD

The clearest difference is rating: PlannerMD at 5.0 against Pencil Calendar's 4.2. PlannerMD also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). Pencil Calendar's advantage is ratings volume (85 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pencil Calendar sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. PlannerMD asks for nothing beyond the download.

PlannerMD holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Calendar has 85 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Pencil Calendar ships an update fortnightly, PlannerMD daily. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Calendar | PlannerMD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-calendar-calendarpad/id1587598103/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plannermd/id6769229802/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **85** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 6 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Semore Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551678206) | [Jerrid Pippin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896641875) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Calendar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-calendar-calendarpad/id1587598103)

This app combines handwritten planning with digital productivity tools. Plan your year, month, week, or day using your Apple Pencil, with options to doodle, sketch, and add notes. It syncs with your Apple Calendar and offers customizable widgets for easy access to your schedule.

**Highlights:** Handwritten planning with Apple Pencil, Year, Month, Week, and Day views, Syncs with Apple Calendar, Customizable widgets, Export to PDF or PNG, Template switching without data loss, Backup and restore functionality

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CalendaPad Pro Promo | $7.99 | one-time |
| CalendarPad Pro | $7.99 | one-time |


### PlannerMD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plannermd/id6769229802)

This app helps busy professionals manage complex schedules and to-do lists, especially those with erratic work hours. It allows for customized routines based on workdays, off days, and specific time constraints, offering flexibility for personal habits and reminders.

**Highlights:** Customizable work and off day scheduling, Routine scheduling based on daily availability, Snooze feature for reminders, Flexible habit tracking, Designed for erratic work schedules

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Calendar free?

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

### Is PlannerMD free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Calendar or PlannerMD?

PlannerMD is rated higher. Pencil Calendar averages 4.2 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while PlannerMD averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pencil Calendar or PlannerMD have ads?

Neither Pencil Calendar nor PlannerMD shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Calendar or PlannerMD?

Pencil Calendar ships an update fortnightly, and PlannerMD daily. Most recently, Pencil Calendar was updated on October 23, 2026 and PlannerMD on September 18, 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.*