# SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo vs Penbook

The clearest difference is price: Penbook at Free against SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo's $19.99. Penbook also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (46K vs 4.5K). SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 22) and review sentiment (86% vs 58%). On ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Penbook is free to download; SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo costs $19.99 up front. Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo asks for nothing beyond the download.

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penbook has 46K ratings behind it against 4.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo's written reviews are positive against 58% of Penbook's.

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo ships an update every 3 months, Penbook every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/supernote-notes-recorder-plus-photo/id484001216/reviews)** | [4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4.5K | **46K** |
| Positive reviews | **86.1% of reviews** | 57.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #183 | **#128** |
| Size | 40 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FITNESS22 LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/383171664) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/supernote-notes-recorder-plus-photo/id484001216)

**Currently charting:** #183 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Capture notes, voice recordings, and photos all in one place. Organize your thoughts with color-coding and categories, set reminders, and easily share your information. Perfect for students, professionals, and daily life organization.

**Highlights:** Typed notes with integrated recordings and photos, Color-coded and topic-related note templates, High-quality audio recording, Add photos from camera or library, Set reminders and alerts on notes, Auto-organized by date, category, or alphabetically, Export notes via WiFi, Dropbox, or email

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Easy to use
- 🎙️ Clear audio recording
- 🔒 Secure with password protection
- 📚 Helpful for organizing notes and recordings
- 🤳 Ability to add photos to notes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitching and crashing issues
- 🔄 Difficulty navigating and scrubbing through recordings
- 🔗 Lack of syncing between devices
- 🔍 Limited search and organization options
- 🎨 Desire for more customization (fonts, colors, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- App no longer opening after iOS updates
- Recordings disappearing or becoming inaccessible
- Difficulty transferring notes and recordings to new devices

**Requested features**

- Cloud backup and sync across devices
- Handwriting and sketching capabilities
- Transcription of audio recordings
- More robust organization tools (folders, tags, etc.)
- Export options beyond email (e.g. PDF, Word)


### Penbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295)

**Currently charting:** #128 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Create custom digital notebooks with a vast library of stationery or import your own PDFs for annotation. Write naturally with a stylus and organize your notes with dynamic features like live planners and searchable handwriting.

**Highlights:** Live Paper dynamic stationery, Over 400 stationery types, Import and annotate PDFs, Natural handwriting with stylus, Searchable handwritten notes, Shape recognition, Customizable notebook covers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penbook Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime (Loyalty) | $29.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Variety of customization options for notebooks
- 📝 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil
- 🗓️ Useful calendar integration
- 💡 Innovative features like washi tape and stickers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking feature
- 🔧 Glitchy zooming and ruler functionality
- 🧭 Poor notebook and page management
- 💰 Restrictive free version, expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Sticker resizing issues causing app freezes
- Ruler placement and alignment problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between pages
- Calendar sync not working as expected
- PDF import and annotation functionality not reliable

**Requested features**

- Allow custom notebook covers or images
- Add text box and typing capabilities
- Improve organization with folders or tags
- Provide more customization options for templates
- Implement a more intuitive undo/redo system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo free?

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo or Penbook?

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo is rated higher. SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo averages 4.9 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Penbook averages 4.5 from 46K ratings.

### Do SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo or Penbook have ads?

Neither SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo nor Penbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo or Penbook?

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo ships an update every 3 months, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo was updated on October 29, 2026 and Penbook on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo or Penbook?

SuperNote Notes Recorder+Photo currently peaks at #183 in the App Store charts, and Penbook at #128. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*