# Pen and Paper vs Pocket Note

Pen and Paper and Pocket Note both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of Pen and Paper's written reviews are positive against 33% of Pocket Note's. Pen and Paper also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (43 vs 14). Pocket Note's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pen and Paper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Pen and Paper against 4.3 for Pocket Note. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 14 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Pen and Paper's written reviews are positive against 33% of Pocket Note's.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, Pocket Note every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | Pocket Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | [4.3 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | **69.7% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 50 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) |

## What reviewers say

### Pen and Paper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570)

Create handwritten notes and drawings, annotate PDFs, and add text and shapes. Zoom in for detailed editing, organize content with layers, and import custom fonts and page styles. Share your creations as PDFs or JPEGs.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and drawings, PDF import and annotation, Text and shape insertion, Zoom and split view, Layer management, Custom font installation, PDF export

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pen and Paper PRO | $7.99 | one-time |


### Pocket Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-note-handwritten-note/id1498583819)

Transform your device into a powerful business notepad. Quickly capture ideas with handwriting, typing, and rich media. Organize notes into groups and export them as images or PDFs for easy sharing and printing.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and typed input, Customizable pen sizes and colors, Paste photos and maps, Insert figures and lines, Export as image or PDF, Organize notes into groups, iCloud synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Note License | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

Pen and Paper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pocket Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pen and Paper or Pocket Note?

Pen and Paper is rated higher. Pen and Paper averages 4.4 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Pocket Note averages 4.3 from 14 ratings.

### Do Pen and Paper or Pocket Note have ads?

Pocket Note shows ads; Pen and Paper does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pen and Paper or Pocket Note?

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pocket Note every 2 months. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pocket Note on November 3, 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.*