# ZoomNotes Lite vs Pencil

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ZoomNotes Lite at 72% against Pencil's 25%. ZoomNotes Lite also leads on ratings volume (214 vs 4) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). Pencil's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ZoomNotes Lite sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pencil sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ZoomNotes Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ZoomNotes Lite has 214 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of ZoomNotes Lite's written reviews are positive against 25% of Pencil's.

ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ZoomNotes Lite | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (214 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes-lite/id621255925/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **214** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **72.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 151 MB | 465 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deliverance Software Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/374494333) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### ZoomNotes Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoomnotes-lite/id621255925)

This app allows for handwritten notes and sketches on various digital documents, including PDFs and Office files. It offers unlimited zooming, customizable paper styles, and extensive sharing options. Additional features and pen types are available through in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Unlimited zoom and panning, Handwritten notes and sketches, Markup PDFs and Office documents, Customizable paper sizes and styles, Extensive document sharing options, Digital planning with calendar integration

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highlighter pen | $0.99 | one-time |
| Text | $0.99 | one-time |
| Images | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bookmarks | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sounds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sub-documents | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tables | $0.99 | one-time |
| Workspaces | $1.99 | one-time |
| All Pens | $2.99 | one-time |
| All features | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Versatile and feature-rich
- 👍 Smooth handwriting experience
- 💡 Powerful customization options
- 🚀 Seamless PDF annotation
- 👍 Reliable syncing and backup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
- 👎 Confusing and outdated user interface
- 🐛 Inconsistent pen and eraser behavior
- 👎 Limited free version functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues leading to document conflicts
- Random lines and dots appearing on the page
- Disappearing handwritten notes after saving
- Inability to unlock paid features after purchase

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and formatting
- Easier organization with better folder management
- More tutorials and documentation
- Ability to recover accidentally deleted notes


### Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421)

Create beautiful notes, sketch ideas, and annotate PDFs with advanced ink tools and AI assistance. Convert handwriting to text, scan documents, and organize files seamlessly across cloud services. Enjoy a realistic ink-on-paper feel with stylus support.

**Highlights:** Advanced ink tools for writing and sketching, AI Assistant for summarization and translation, Handwritten notes to editable text conversion, Document scanning with automatic frame recognition, Cloud service integration for file management, Full-text search for PDFs, PDF reader with highlighting and read aloud

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All and AI Assistant | $2.99 | per month |
| GoodPencil Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ZoomNotes Lite free?

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

### Is Pencil free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ZoomNotes Lite or Pencil?

ZoomNotes Lite is rated higher. ZoomNotes Lite averages 4.2 out of 5 from 214 ratings, while Pencil averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do ZoomNotes Lite or Pencil have ads?

Neither ZoomNotes Lite nor Pencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ZoomNotes Lite or Pencil?

ZoomNotes Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, ZoomNotes Lite was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pencil on October 11, 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.*