# Pen and Paper vs Preview

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pen and Paper at 70% against Preview's 7%. Pen and Paper also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.9) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Preview's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 41). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pen and Paper sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Preview asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pen and Paper holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Preview has 1.9K ratings behind it against 41, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Pen and Paper's written reviews are positive against 7% of Preview's.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, Preview every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | Preview |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | [1.9 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preview/id536344167/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 41 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.5% of reviews** | 7.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 50 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Apple](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) |

## 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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pen and Paper PRO monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Pen and Paper PRO | $5.99 | per year |
| Pen and Paper PRO | $7.99 | one-time |


### Preview

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preview/id536344167)

Streamline your workflow with tools to create, edit, annotate, and export PDFs and images. Easily access files, scan documents, and make quick edits with Apple Pencil support. Export your work in various formats with customizable resolution and size options.

**Highlights:** Create and edit PDFs, Annotate and markup documents, Scan documents with camera, Edit images, Export in multiple formats, AutoFill PDF forms

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Built-in PDF viewer
- 🚀 Incremental improvements
- 💡 Comprehensive markup capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🤔 Confusing user interface
- 🤷‍♀️ Redundant with existing apps
- 🔀 Disjointed experience with Files app

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen issues
- Inability to preview certain file types
- Inconsistent behavior when opening files

**Requested features**

- Integrate with Files app
- Add support for more file types
- Improve PDF editing capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

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

### Is Preview free?

Preview is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pen and Paper or Preview?

Pen and Paper is rated higher. Pen and Paper averages 4.4 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while Preview averages 1.9 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Pen and Paper or Preview have ads?

Neither Pen and Paper nor Preview shows ads.

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

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and Preview every 3 months. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on September 22, 2026 and Preview on September 25, 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.*