# Penzu vs Campfire

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Campfire at none against Penzu's 3. Penzu's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 182). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penzu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Campfire asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Penzu against 4.3 for Campfire. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penzu has 2.5K ratings behind it against 182, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 52% of Penzu's written reviews are positive against 44% of Campfire's.

Penzu ships an update weekly, Campfire fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penzu | Campfire |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732/reviews) | **[4.3 (182 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/campfire-write-your-book/id1626123915/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 182 |
| Positive reviews | **52.0% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 62 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Penzu Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452674735) | [Campfire Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1567961687) |

## 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


### Campfire

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/campfire-write-your-book/id1626123915)

This app streamlines the writing process for books, stories, and RPG campaigns. It offers interconnected tools for worldbuilding, character tracking, and plot organization, allowing for seamless collaboration and easy access to information. Write, edit, and organize your projects anywhere with unlimited storage.

**Highlights:** Custom character sheets, Worldbuilding tools (creatures, locations, magic), Timeline plotting and map uploads, Write, read, and edit on mobile, Collaborate with editors and contributors, Export to PDF, DOCX, HTML, RTF, Unlimited cloud storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Organized writing and planning
- 👍 Versatile and customizable
- 💡 Helpful for writers and world-builders
- 🚀 Syncs across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Glitchy behavior and bugs
- 🐛 Keyboard issues and text disappearing
- 🐛 Laggy performance

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and getting logged out
- Inability to delete unwanted elements
- Attributes and chapters disappearing
- Inconsistencies between mobile and desktop versions

**Requested features**

- Offline mode for travel
- Proper iPad/tablet support
- Word count feature
- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to rearrange elements and panels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penzu free?

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

### Is Campfire free?

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

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

Campfire is rated higher. Penzu averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Campfire averages 4.3 from 182 ratings.

### Do Penzu or Campfire have ads?

Neither Penzu nor Campfire shows ads.

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

Penzu ships an update weekly, and Campfire fortnightly. Most recently, Penzu was updated on October 17, 2026 and Campfire on October 21, 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.*