# Pen and Paper vs SalmonBytes

The clearest difference is update cadence: SalmonBytes at every 2 weeks against Pen and Paper's every 5 weeks. Pen and Paper's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pen and Paper sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and SalmonBytes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, SalmonBytes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pen and Paper | SalmonBytes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pen-and-paper/id425893570/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **42** | — |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Vivid Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/291793754) | [Patricio Pena](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885381781) |

## 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 |


### SalmonBytes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/salmonbytes/id6760624881)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SalmonBytes Premium Mensual | $12.99 | per month |
| SalmonBytes Premium Anual | $129.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pen and Paper free?

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

### Is SalmonBytes free?

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

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

Neither Pen and Paper nor SalmonBytes shows ads.

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

Pen and Paper ships an update every 5 weeks, and SalmonBytes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pen and Paper was updated on October 23, 2026 and SalmonBytes on October 15, 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.*