# Penzu vs UpNote

The clearest difference is rating: UpNote at 4.7 against Penzu's 4.2. UpNote also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 52%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penzu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and UpNote sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Penzu's written reviews are positive against 86% of UpNote's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penzu | UpNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upnote-notes-diary-journal/id1389634515/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | **85.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 62 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Penzu Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452674735) | [UpNote Company Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1347759263) |

## What reviewers say

### Penzu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732)

This app provides a secure and private space for journaling, note-taking, and storing personal thoughts. It offers robust security features like password and PIN locks, encryption, and cloud syncing across devices. Users can also add photos and tags to their entries, making it a comprehensive digital diary.

**Highlights:** Unlimited journaling, Cloud sync for free, Password and PIN locks, Journal encryption, Add photos to entries, Search and tag entries, Offline writing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penzu Pro Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Penzu Pro Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Penzu Pro Upgrade | $18.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 📝 Convenient journaling on the go
- 🗓️ Helpful reminders and date tracking
- 💻 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔑 Password issues and lockout problems
- 📁 Syncing and data loss issues
- 📱 Limited functionality on mobile app
- 💰 Expensive premium subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard disappearing during use
- Entries not saving or syncing properly
- Inability to access account after updates

**Requested features**

- More customization options for fonts, themes, and layouts
- Ability to export/backup journal entries
- Improved mobile app stability and features
- Better customer support and communication


### UpNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upnote-notes-diary-journal/id1389634515)

This app provides a clean and beautiful interface for writing and organizing notes, journals, and to-do lists. It offers rich formatting options, an intuitive organization system, and instant syncing across devices, with offline capabilities. Premium features include enhanced security and export options.

**Highlights:** Rich text editor with formatting tools, Intuitive organizing system (notebooks, pins, links), Secure note locking with Touch/Face ID, Instant cross-device syncing and offline access, Markdown support and export, Task management and to-do lists

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium monthly subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Life-time Upgrade | $19.99 | one-time |
| Life-time Upgrade to Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Life-time Upgrade | $24.99 | one-time |
| Life-time Upgrade to Premium | $24.99 | one-time |
| Life-time Upgrade | $29.99 | one-time |
| Life-time upgrade to Premium | $34.99 | one-time |
| Life-time upgrade to Premium | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Seamless syncing across devices
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Nested notebooks and tags for organization
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 💡 Lifetime premium option

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🐛 Issues with image/attachment handling
- 🐛 Formatting problems with pasted content
- 🐛 Syncing problems between devices
- 🔒 Lack of end-to-end encryption

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen issues
- Lost notes and data
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions
- Google sign-in not working

**Requested features**

- Reminders and calendar integration
- More customization options (fonts, colors, etc.)
- Improved drawing/handwriting support
- PDF annotation and embedding
- Optical character recognition (OCR)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penzu free?

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

### Is UpNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Penzu or UpNote?

UpNote is rated higher. Penzu averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while UpNote averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Penzu or UpNote have ads?

Neither Penzu nor UpNote shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penzu or UpNote?

Penzu ships an update weekly, and UpNote weekly. Most recently, Penzu was updated on October 12, 2026 and UpNote on October 13, 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.*