# First Note vs Pennio

The clearest difference is price: Pennio at Free against First Note's $2.99. First Note's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Pennio is free to download; First Note costs $2.99 up front. Pennio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. First Note asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on July 4, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | First Note | Pennio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gianfranco Percopo](https://appshunter.io/developer/594845026) | [Artur Popov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1868003641) |

## What reviewers say

### First Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-note/id594845023)

Manage your finances with this tool that allows you to track daily, monthly, and year-over-year spending. Easily search for past transactions by date to compare expenses and make informed financial decisions.

**Highlights:** Daily balance tracking, Monthly spending reports, Carry-over balance from previous month, Transaction search by date, Historical spending comparison

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pennio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pennio-weekly-budget-planner/id6760724844)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pennio Pro Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Pennio Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is First Note free?

First Note costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pennio free?

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

### Do First Note or Pennio have ads?

Neither First Note nor Pennio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, First Note or Pennio?

First Note ships an update every 3 months, and Pennio every 3 months. Most recently, First Note was updated on July 4, 2026 and Pennio on September 2, 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.*