SketchNote, Visual Note Taking vs Pencil
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking
This app transforms your device into a digital notebook for natural handwriting and drawing. Utilize pre-designed elements, import documents for annotation, and sync notes across devices. It offers a paperless workflow with easy sharing and export options.
- Natural handwriting experience
- Pre-designed shapes and clipart
- Import and annotate PDFs/images
- iCloud Sync for notes
- Move, resize, and rotate handwriting
- Export and share documents
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SketchNote will help you take great notes without any art skill. Use pre-designed shapes, letter & Numbers, clipart to take great notes. Transform your iPhone and iPad into smart digital paper. Take handwritten notes in digital notebooks. WRITE NATURALLY - LIKE ON REAL PAPER * Completely natural writing experience * Write with the Apple Pencil and your finger * Select and customize your pen color, thickness, and style * Easily switch between pen, highlighter etc. NEVER LOSE YOUR NOTES AGAIN * All your notes with you at all times thanks to iCloud Sync ESCAPE THE LIMITS OF ANALOG PAPER * Move, resize, and rotate your handwriting or change colors * Draw perfect shapes and lines with the Shapes Tool * Pinch to zoom and write more precisely GO PAPERLESS * Import PDF, images, photos and more to annotate them right on your iPhone and iPad * Export documents and share them with others for a fully digital workflow ATTACH ANYTHING * Attach videos, images, photos [ Upgrade to subscription version ] Upgrading to subscription version requires auto-renewal subscription. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Links to Your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: http://www.btoj.com.au/privacy.html http://www.btoj.com.au/terms.html Please feel free to contact us for anything.
Pencil
This app allows users to handwrite, sketch, and annotate PDFs on their iPad and iPhone. It supports Apple Pencil and other styluses for note-taking, drawing, and even watercolor painting. Features include audio recording within notes and AI assistance for summarizing and translation.
- Handwrite and sketch with stylus or finger
- Annotate and mark up PDFs
- Record audio directly in notes
- Create formatted text notes
- Watercolor painting workspace
- Scan and import documents
- AI assistance for summaries and translation
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Pencil brings handwriting, sketching, PDF annotation and watercolor painting to iPad and iPhone. Designed especially for Apple Pencil on iPad, it also works with other compatible styluses and your finger. Take notes in class, mark up a document, plan your week or paint an idea while it is still fresh. • Write and sketch your way. Use Apple Pencil on iPad, or write and draw with a compatible stylus or your finger on iPad and iPhone. Start a PDF note from a paper template, choose your ink colors and add typed text, images and shapes. Use lined or grid backgrounds to give your notes structure. • Make your PDFs useful. Highlight passages, add comments, write in the margins and insert your signature. Search inside a document, bookmark important pages and rearrange, duplicate or rotate pages as your work develops. • Keep the conversation with your notes. Record audio directly in a PDF note and play it back alongside the page. Revisit a lecture, meeting or explanation without separating the recording from your written notes. • Type when words come first. Create formatted Text Notes with fonts, colors, lists, checklists, tables and images. Turn a quick thought into a clear set of notes, a plan or a longer draft, then export it as a PDF to share. • Explore watercolor painting. Open a dedicated painting workspace, choose your paper and experiment with brushes, mixed colors and washes. Paint from a reference photo, try guided practice lessons and export your painting as an image or PDF. • Bring paper into your notebook. Scan documents with the camera, import files through the Files app and add photos to your work. Keep notes, PDFs and paintings organized in folders, ready to return to when you need them. • Get help from AI. Ask questions about your documents, summarize a passage, explain an unfamiliar concept or translate selected text. Use AI Chat to work through an idea alongside your notes. Privacy Policy: https://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pencil at 4.0 against SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's 3.0. SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and review sentiment (33% vs 25%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. SketchNote, Visual Note Taking sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Pencil sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pencil holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of SketchNote, Visual Note Taking's written reviews are positive against 25% of Pencil's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking ships an update every 2 days, Pencil weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | SketchNote, Visual Note Taking | Pencil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) | 4.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews — better | 25.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 511 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | B TO J PTY LTD | Kairoos Solutions SL |
Customer experience
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking
Pencil
In-app purchases
SketchNote, Visual Note Taking
- 1 Month Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- 1 Year Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
Pencil
- Weekly$1.997 Days
- Unlock All and AI Assistant3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Pencil Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Pencil Lifetime$14.99
Questions
Is SketchNote, Visual Note Taking free?
Is Pencil free?
Which has better reviews, SketchNote, Visual Note Taking or Pencil?
Do SketchNote, Visual Note Taking or Pencil have ads?
Which is updated more often, SketchNote, Visual Note Taking or Pencil?
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