Comparison

Art Therapy vs PencilDiary

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Art Therapy

Explore your emotions and gain mental health insights through guided drawing and journaling activities. Designed for all skill levels, this app offers self-guided exercises to help you reflect and connect with your feelings.

Highlights
  • Self-guided art therapy activities
  • Drawing and journaling prompts
  • Focus on anxiety, confidence, focus, gratitude, happiness
  • Instructional guidance for all skill levels
  • Emotional exploration and reflection
  • Mental health insights
Features
Read full description

Scribble Journey offers self-guided activities inspired by art therapy, helping you explore your emotions through drawing and journaling. The process is simple. Choose an activity based on your intention, then let Scribble Journey guide you through a drawing and journaling activity. Each activity is designed to help your brain discover shiny, new insights that can smooth the path of your mental health journey. Activities focus on: * Anxiety * Confidence * Focus * Gratitude * Happiness Haven’t picked up a crayon since you were a kid? No worries, Scribble Journey’s instructional prompts provide simple steps to ease you into your creation. The activities are simple enough for someone who finds drawing daunting and broad enough that a professional creative can add their own complexity if desired. The end goal isn’t to create a masterpiece, but to dive deeper into your emotions and get more in tune with your mental health. While Scribble Journey is inspired by art therapy, it is not a substitute for professional therapy or mental health treatment. If you have any questions, suggestions or any other feedback, please email support@scribblejourney.com.

About

PencilDiary

This app provides a daily handwritten journal experience with a new page automatically generated each day, organized by date. It offers seamless light and dark mode adaptation with smart color inversion for optimal readability and a minimalist design for focused reflection.

Highlights
  • New page generated daily, organized by date
  • Automatic light and dark mode with color inversion
  • Pure handwriting input with Apple Pencil support
  • Minimalist and distraction-free interface
  • Ideal for personal growth and reflection
  • No manual sorting or folder management
Features
Read full description

Pencil Diary is the only handwritten journal app that gives you a new page every day, automatically organized by date. Whether you're jotting down daily reflections, tracking your moods, ADHD, every note is instantly saved and accessible by date—so you never have to manage folders or files. With seamless light and dark mode adaptation, your notes automatically invert colors to match your iPad’s theme. This ensures that your handwritten text remains readable and aesthetically consistent, no matter when or where you write. If you love writing by hand with an Apple Pencil, Pencil Diary is your perfect digital alternative to a traditional journal. KEY FEATURES: 1. New Page Every Day, Organized by Date - Automatically starts a fresh blank page every day—just like a real notebook. - No need to create or sort notes—your entries are stored by date for easy browsing. - Go back and review past notes without clutter or folders. 2. Auto Light & Dark Mode With Smart Color Inversion - When switching modes, your handwritten notes automatically adjust, ensuring perfect contrast - In light mode, notes appear on a white page in dark mode, they seamlessly invert for a comfortable nighttime writing experience 3. Pure Handwriting —No Typing, No Distractions - Write naturally with Apple Pencil —no keyboards, just a real pen-on-paper feel. - Perfect for journaling, planning, mood tracking, or creative sketching. - Supports freehand drawing, doodling, and note-taking. 4. Minimalist & Aesthetic Design - A clean, distraction-free interface to help you focus on your thoughts. - Inspired by artful agendas, aesthetic planners, and mindful journaling techniques. 5. Ideal for Personal Growth & Reflection - Use it as a gratitude journal, mood tracker, self-care planner, or time management tool. - Great for stoic journaling, mental health tracking, and personal development. - WHY CHOOSE PENCIL DIARY? Most journaling apps rely on templates, stickers, or typing. Pencil Diary is different. A fresh page every day — just open the app and start writing. No manual sorting — everything is saved by date. Automatic light & dark mode — your notes adapt perfectly. Handwriting only — for a truly paper-like experience on iPad. No clutter — just a simple, elegant space for your thoughts. If you love handwriting, daily journaling, and a clean, distraction-free experience, Pencil Diary is the perfect app for you. Start Your Journaling Journey Today!

Screenshots

Art Therapy4 screens
PencilDiary4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PencilDiary at every 2 weeks against Art Therapy's every 2 months. PencilDiary also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Art Therapy against 4.8 for PencilDiary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 41 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Art Therapy's written reviews are positive against 100% of PencilDiary's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Art Therapy ships an update every 2 months, PencilDiary every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Art Therapy versus PencilDiary: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArt TherapyPencilDiary
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (42 ratings) — better4.8 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings42 — better41
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.018
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB214 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGregory HubbardRABBITEYE LAB LLP

Customer experience

Art Therapy

All ratings42 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

PencilDiary

All ratings41 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Art Therapy

Subscriptions2
  • Premium$2.991 Month
  • Premium1 Month trial$23.991 Year
2 purchases

PencilDiary

One-time2
  • Premium$19.99
  • Premium$49.99

Questions

Is Art Therapy free?
Art Therapy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PencilDiary free?
PencilDiary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Art Therapy or PencilDiary?
Art Therapy is rated higher. Art Therapy averages 4.9 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while PencilDiary averages 4.8 from 41 ratings.
Do Art Therapy or PencilDiary have ads?
Neither Art Therapy nor PencilDiary shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Art Therapy or PencilDiary?
Art Therapy ships an update every 2 months, and PencilDiary every 2 weeks. Most recently, Art Therapy was updated on October 25, 2026 and PencilDiary on October 25, 2026.

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