# Screen Pencil vs Reader's Bench

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Screen Pencil | Reader's Bench |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-pencil/id1641997040/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 0 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAE J MYUNG](https://appshunter.io/developer/304936141) | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) |

## What reviewers say

### Screen Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/screen-pencil/id1641997040)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Reader's Bench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader's Bench Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*