# Art Therapy vs PencilDiary

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Art Therapy | PencilDiary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-therapy-scribble-journey/id6443977146/reviews)** | [4.8 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **42** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 31 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gregory Hubbard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1565886549) | [RABBITEYE LAB LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482497034) |

## What reviewers say

### Art Therapy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/art-therapy-scribble-journey/id6443977146)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium | $23.99 | per year |


### PencilDiary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencildiary-notes-pdf-markup/id6739626574)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*