Comparison

My Notes vs Penjo

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

My Notes

This app allows for freeform handwritten note-taking and drawing on an infinite canvas. It supports file imports and graphic diary creation with image integration, serving as a digital tool for learning and organization.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas for notes and drawing
  • Handwritten note-taking
  • Graphic diary creation with images
  • File import and annotation
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Paperless learning tool
Features
Read full description

「My Notes」 is a very popular handwritten note application, breaking the paperless learning. Handwritten notes, more convenient for editing notes, The design is simple and can be used for painting. It is another window for learning software and a good helper for sorting out files. You can also edit a graphic diary. Pictures can be added to each diary, not just words. Support file import annotation and other functions, making it more convenient and concise to use. Support Apple pencil, which can be integrated into your process whether you are studying or working. This subscription will be automatically renewed through your iTunes account, with the renewal fee deducted from your plan within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel automatic renewal at the Account Settings office at least 24 hours before the current subscription period ends. If your trial does not end, the remaining days will automatically expire after you start your subscription. To open a subscription, you agree to the following terms: The terms of service : https://jianxiwu.github.io/posts/jianxi/fuwu Privacy policy : https://jianxiwu.github.io/posts/jianxi/privacy

About

Penjo

This app combines journaling, planning, and note-taking with a pencil-first interface. It offers powerful handwriting search, creative image tools, and seamless integration with calendars and reminders. Organize your thoughts and tasks with flexible layouts and personalized tools.

Highlights
  • Pencil-first writing and sketching
  • Handwriting search and text conversion
  • Calendar and reminders integration
  • Creative image editing tools
  • Customizable pen and tool picker
  • Flexible page layouts
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Penjo is a digital journal and planner you write by hand. In the morning, today's page shows your Apple Calendar events and reminders, and you plan around them with Apple Pencil or your finger. By evening, the same page is your diary, with notes, sketches and photos of the day, and iCloud keeps it on your iPad, iPhone and Mac. Later, search finds the words you wrote, even in your handwriting. In September 2026, the App Store featured Penjo in "Make the Most of Apple Pencil" in 173 countries. PLAN WITH YOUR CALENDAR • See your Apple Calendar events and Apple Reminders on the day page and in the week and month views, including Google and Exchange calendars. Add, edit and complete them without leaving Penjo. • Reminders you haven't finished from earlier days appear under Overdue on today's page. • On iPad and Mac, the day drawer keeps the day's plans beside your page as you move from day to day. • See your week at a glance, with each day's page and plans. The month page is a canvas too, for a habit tracker or a mood chart. MAKE IT YOURS • Give each journal its own look: 18 cover colors, 20 paper colors, and blank, lined, grid or dotted paper in different spacings. • Use Day Mode for a page every day, or List Mode for occasional notes, class notes, trips or scrapbooks. • Choose fonts and colors for your text, set up your own Apple Pencil tool palette, and pick light or dark. WRITE YOUR DAY • Every page starts blank on the paper you chose, and you decide what goes where. Add more pages to a day when you need them. • Penjo can straighten the lines you draw, and you can scribble over words to erase them. • Photos: remove the background, add a sticker effect or an instant photo frame, flip a photo or clip it to a shape, right on the page. Add text boxes, shapes and maps too. • Add moments from your day and gratitude prompts with Journaling Suggestions, and use Writing Tools and Image Playground on supported devices. SYNCED AND PRIVATE • iCloud keeps your journals in sync on iPad, iPhone, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. They stay in your own iCloud, and we never see what you write. • Lock the app or a single journal with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode. • Export a day, week or month as a PDF, or back up and transfer whole journals as .penjo files. LOOK BACK • Search also finds the text in your photos, with text recognition on your device. • On This Day shows what you wrote on the same date in earlier years. READY FOR THE NEWEST APPLE DEVICES • The Liquid Glass design on iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and later, in your journal's colors. • iPhone Duo: open it like a book, with the page on one side and the day's events and reminders on the other, or set it half open on a table and write on the flat half. Fold it shut and the journal closes. • Home Screen widgets, and Penjo in 22 languages. FREE AND UNLIMITED Penjo is free to start, with no account to create: 3 journals and 14 day pages in each. Penjo Unlimited adds Apple Calendar and Reminders, iCloud sync, unlimited journals and pages, app and journal locks, PDF export and .penjo backups, on all your devices. Choose a monthly or yearly subscription, or pay once with Lifetime. Family Sharing is available on the monthly plan. Questions? Every message gets a personal reply. support@penjoapp.com Privacy Policy: https://penjoapp.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

My Notes4 screens
Penjo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Penjo at 73% against My Notes's 0%. Penjo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. My Notes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Penjo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Penjo holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penjo has 280 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of My Notes's written reviews are positive against 73% of Penjo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

My Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, Penjo every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
My Notes versus Penjo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMy NotesPenjo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (13 ratings)4.7 (280 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews73.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13280 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer文龙 林Zafer ARICAN

Customer experience

My Notes

All ratings13 ratings
Positive76.9%
Neutral7.7%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Penjo

All ratings280 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews149 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral9.4%
Negative17.4%

Bugs and requests

My Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Penjo

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Cloud sync not working across devices despite paid subscription
  • App crashes when using photo effects
  • Calendar not syncing or displaying properly
  • Notebooks disappearing or becoming unopenable
  • Text boxes misaligning after app closure
Show 8 more
  • Bluetooth keyboard text appearing at bottom of screen
  • Restore purchases button non-functional
  • iCloud sync not automatic despite being enabled
  • Family sharing not working on secondary Apple IDs
  • Support page returning 404 errors
  • Forced app updates without user consent
  • Text selection tools unreliable on mobile devices
  • Photo shape cutting requires specific upload order

Requested features

24 requests
  • Dark mode or black background option
  • Screen lock/page lock to prevent accidental writing
  • Apple Pencil advanced features (highlighter, squeeze, double-tap)
  • Text formatting options (resize, color change for selected text)
  • More page layout templates and line spacing options
Show 19 more
  • Ability to convert handwriting to text
  • Stickers and decorative elements for journaling
  • Bullet point and to-do list functionality
  • Google Drive and Google Tasks integration
  • PDF annotation and file linking capabilities
  • Folder and subfolder organization system
  • Non-calendar-based notebook organization
  • Weekly and monthly view options
  • Automatic page creation at 50% capacity
  • Customizable default text preferences
  • Straight line drawing tool (like Procreate)
  • Voice memo support
  • Outlook calendar integration
  • Book-style page turning interface
  • Habit tracker and monthly review templates
  • Daily prompt suggestions for journaling
  • Emoji and motivational sticker packs
  • Page thumbnails and quick navigation
  • Hyperlinked navigation tabs

In-app purchases

3 purchases

My Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly VIP3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Quarter VIP3 Days trial$4.493 Months
One-time1
  • Pro Version$4.99
3 purchases

Penjo

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is My Notes free?
My Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Penjo free?
Penjo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, My Notes or Penjo?
Penjo is rated higher. My Notes averages 4.4 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Penjo averages 4.7 from 280 ratings.
Do My Notes or Penjo have ads?
My Notes shows ads; Penjo does not.
Which is updated more often, My Notes or Penjo?
My Notes ships an update every 2 weeks, and Penjo every 11 days. Most recently, My Notes was updated on October 6, 2026 and Penjo on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons