# TimeKeeper vs Penbook

The clearest difference is rating: Penbook at 4.5 against TimeKeeper's 4.1. Penbook also leads on ratings volume (46K vs 39) and review sentiment (58% vs 43%). TimeKeeper's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TimeKeeper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Penbook sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penbook has 46K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of TimeKeeper's written reviews are positive against 58% of Penbook's.

TimeKeeper ships an update every 11 days, Penbook every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TimeKeeper | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timekeeper-smart-tracking/id523810027/reviews) | **[4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 39 | **46K** |
| Positive reviews | 43.5% of reviews | **57.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#133** |
| Size | 3 MB | 142 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tobias Totzek](https://appshunter.io/developer/486713716) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### TimeKeeper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timekeeper-smart-tracking/id523810027)

This app automatically records your time spent at designated locations using GPS. It calculates attendance duration and provides detailed summaries of your daily, weekly, and monthly time logs. Export your data in various formats for easy analysis.

**Highlights:** Automatic time tracking, Location-based check-in/out, Daily, weekly, monthly summaries, Data export (TXT, CSV, PDF), Calendar export, Break time definition, Attendance reminders

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TimeKeeper Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


### Penbook

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

**Currently charting:** #133 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 TimeKeeper free?

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

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, TimeKeeper or Penbook?

Penbook is rated higher. TimeKeeper averages 4.1 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while Penbook averages 4.5 from 46K ratings.

### Do TimeKeeper or Penbook have ads?

Neither TimeKeeper nor Penbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TimeKeeper or Penbook?

TimeKeeper ships an update every 11 days, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, TimeKeeper was updated on October 23, 2026 and Penbook on October 27, 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.*