Comparison

Screen Pencil vs Reader's Bench

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

Head to head
About

Screen Pencil

Record videos of websites while simultaneously taking notes with your finger. Capture audio using the built-in or external microphone for comprehensive documentation.

Highlights
  • Website video recording
  • Finger-drawn note-taking
  • Audio recording (internal/external mic)
  • Productivity tool
Read full description

Record a video of a website while taking notes with your finger, with the option to record audio with the built in mic or external mic.

About

Reader's Bench

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

Highlights
  • PDF reading and markup
  • Handwriting and typed notes
  • Annotation extraction for review
  • Highlight, underline, strikethrough
  • Image capture and insertion
  • Export notes and annotated PDFs
  • Word definition and sentence translation
Features
Read full description

Reader's Bench — Read, Annotate & Take Notes Reader's Bench is a powerful PDF and ePub reader built for students, researchers, and professionals who need to study documents deeply. Import PDFs and ePub files, annotate them with a rich set of tools, take handwritten notes side by side, and organize everything in one place. KEY FEATURES • PDF & ePub Reader Import PDFs from the Files app, share sheet, or Safari. Supports vertical and horizontal scrolling, single-page and continuous page views, and a comfortable dark mode for reading in any lighting. • Rich PDF Annotations Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text. Add text boxes, image boxes, freehand drawings, and capture areas with Apple Pencil or your finger. Every annotation can be edited, moved, or deleted at any time. • Annotation Review View all your annotations in a summary list, filter by type, and export the review as a separate PDF report. Revisit key points without re-reading the entire document. • Handwritten Notes Take notes on a digital canvas with Apple Pencil. Switch between Canvas (infinite scroll) and Page (discrete pages) modes. Choose from dotted, squared, lined, or blank backgrounds and customize colors. Shape detection automatically perfects hand-drawn shapes. • Split View Work with your PDF and notes side by side. Switch between horizontal and vertical layouts and resize panels with a draggable divider. • Bookmarks & Search Bookmark pages for quick access and browse them in one place. Search inside documents and jump to results by page instantly. • Export & Share Export annotated PDFs, handwritten notes as PDFs, or annotation reviews as reports. Share via the iOS share sheet or print directly from the app. • iCloud Sync Documents and annotations sync across your devices via iCloud, so your work is always with you. • ePub Support Import ePub books and convert them to PDF for reading and annotation. • Share Extension Import PDFs directly from any app using the system share sheet. Reader's Bench turns your iPad and iPhone into a complete study and research workstation.

Screenshots

Screen Pencil3 screens
Reader's Bench4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Screen Pencil at 5.0 against Reader's Bench's 3.5. Screen Pencil also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Screen Pencil asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Screen Pencil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Screen Pencil ships an update every 8 days, Reader's Bench weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 11, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Screen Pencil versus Reader's Bench: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScreen PencilReader's Bench
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB7 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperDAE J MYUNGRohmiapps Inc.

Customer experience

Screen Pencil

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Reader's Bench

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Screen Pencil

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Reader's Bench

Subscriptions3
  • Reader's Bench Subscription14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is Screen Pencil free?
Screen Pencil is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Reader's Bench free?
Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Screen Pencil or Reader's Bench?
Screen Pencil is rated higher. Screen Pencil averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Reader's Bench averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Screen Pencil or Reader's Bench have ads?
Neither Screen Pencil nor Reader's Bench shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Screen Pencil or Reader's Bench?
Screen Pencil ships an update every 8 days, and Reader's Bench weekly. Most recently, Screen Pencil was updated on June 11, 2026 and Reader's Bench on September 6, 2026.

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