# Pen and Paper vs SmartDocs Library

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartDocs Library at daily against Pen and Paper's every 5 weeks. Pen and Paper's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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 SmartDocs Library sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, SmartDocs Library daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | SmartDocs Library |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **43** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Thies Harm Landsberger](https://appshunter.io/developer/1875279128) |

## 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 |


### SmartDocs Library

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartdocs-library/id6760452990)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SmartDocs Library Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Smart Docs Library Pro Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| Small Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coffee | $3.99 | one-time |
| Large Coffee | $5.99 | one-time |
| Small Meal | $7.99 | one-time |
| Healthy Meal | $12.99 | one-time |
| 1kg Coffee | $22.99 | one-time |
| SmartDocs Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

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

### Is SmartDocs Library free?

SmartDocs Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Pen and Paper or SmartDocs Library have ads?

Neither Pen and Paper nor SmartDocs Library shows ads.

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

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and SmartDocs Library daily. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on October 29, 2026 and SmartDocs Library on October 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.*