# Calligraphy Master vs Pendulum

Calligraphy Master and Pendulum both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Pendulum's written reviews are positive against 34% of Calligraphy Master's. Pendulum also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Calligraphy Master's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 16) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy Master sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Pendulum sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Calligraphy Master against 4.2 for Pendulum. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Calligraphy Master has 2.5K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 34% of Calligraphy Master's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pendulum's.

Calligraphy Master ships an update every 3 months, Pendulum every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Master | Pendulum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-master-cursive/id1598691036/reviews)** | [4.2 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pendulum-pen-pal-tracker/id6444290573/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 33.8% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Calligraphy Master LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1741288234) | [Benjamin Cardy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588708175) |

## What reviewers say

### Calligraphy Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-master-cursive/id1598691036)

Generate custom calligraphy templates with hundreds of font styles. Practice cursive writing with Apple Pencil support and export your designs for printing. Personalize your practice with various colors, grids, and text options.

**Highlights:** Generate custom font templates, Hundreds of font styles, Export and print templates, Apple Pencil support, Customizable grids and colors, Practice with classic texts

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calligraphy Master Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Calligraphy Master Pro Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Calligraphy Master Lifetime | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💕 Phenomenal resource
- 🤓 Great for handwriting practice
- 👍 Awesome app
- 🤩 Love it
- 🎨 Excellent for learning calligraphy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Not free, requires paid subscription
- 🤔 Confusing, no free fonts available
- 😕 Difficult to use, not intuitive
- 🙄 Misleading, claims to be free but isn't
- 🤷‍♀️ Lacks tutorials and instructions

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard issues and compatibility problems
- Tracing feature not working as expected
- Inconsistent behavior when changing font size
- Inability to save or export practice work

**Requested features**

- Add more font options, including Chancery
- Allow importing and editing of custom texts
- Provide better guidance and tutorials
- Offer a selection of free fonts to try
- Improve overall user experience and navigation


### Pendulum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pendulum-pen-pal-tracker/id6444290573)

This app helps you manage your pen pal relationships by tracking correspondence. Record when you send and receive letters, note writing materials, and set reminders to stay in touch. Sync your data across devices for seamless management.

**Highlights:** Track sent and received letters, Record pen, ink, and paper used, Set reminders to write and post, Monitor letter delivery times, iCloud sync across devices

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extra Fine Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fine Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Broad Tip | $5.99 | one-time |
| Stub Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy Master free?

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

### Is Pendulum free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Master or Pendulum?

Calligraphy Master is rated higher. Calligraphy Master averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Pendulum averages 4.2 from 16 ratings.

### Do Calligraphy Master or Pendulum have ads?

Neither Calligraphy Master nor Pendulum shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Master or Pendulum?

Calligraphy Master ships an update every 3 months, and Pendulum every 9 days. Most recently, Calligraphy Master was updated on September 23, 2026 and Pendulum on September 10, 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.*