# Penzu vs Arca AI Chat

The clearest difference is price: Penzu at Free against Arca AI Chat's $1.99. Penzu also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Arca AI Chat's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Penzu is free to download; Arca AI Chat costs $1.99 up front. Penzu sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Arca AI Chat asks for nothing beyond the download.

Arca AI Chat holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penzu has 2.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penzu | Arca AI Chat |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.2 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penzu/id452674732/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arca-ai-chat/id6767427323/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 62 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Penzu Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/452674735) | [Eric Schlichting](https://appshunter.io/developer/967810175) |

## 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


### Arca AI Chat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arca-ai-chat/id6767427323)

This app provides a private and flexible interface for interacting with any OpenAI-compatible language model. Your conversations are end-to-end encrypted and stored only on your device, ensuring complete data control and security.

**Highlights:** True privacy for conversations, Local chat history storage, API key secured on device, Connect to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, Apple Watch companion app, Clean, focused interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penzu free?

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

### Is Arca AI Chat free?

Arca AI Chat costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Penzu or Arca AI Chat?

Arca AI Chat is rated higher. Penzu averages 4.2 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Arca AI Chat averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Penzu or Arca AI Chat have ads?

Neither Penzu nor Arca AI Chat shows ads.

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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.*