# Penjo vs Oriora Study

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Oriora Study at 15.0 against Penjo's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penjo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Oriora Study sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Penjo ships an update every 11 days, Oriora Study weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penjo | Oriora Study |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (285 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penjo-pencil-journal-planner/id6446053076/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **285** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Zafer ARICAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118422608) | [Orioralabs OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881022613) |

## What reviewers say

### Penjo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penjo-pencil-journal-planner/id6446053076)

This app allows you to handwrite notes, sketches, and plans directly onto your digital pages. It integrates with your calendar and reminders, offers extensive customization for your journals, and syncs across your Apple devices. Search your handwritten notes and photos with ease.

**Highlights:** Handwritten notes and sketches, Apple Calendar and Reminders integration, Customizable journal appearance, Handwriting search, iCloud sync across Apple devices, Photo editing and manipulation, PDF export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration and handwriting experience
- 📅 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
- 💰 One-time lifetime purchase option (no subscriptions)
- 🎨 Clean, minimalist, and intuitive user interface
- ⚡ Fast and responsive performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable cloud sync across multiple devices
- 💳 Confusing payment model and paywall messaging
- 🔐 Missing security features like screen lock
- 📱 Limited macOS support (Intel Macs incompatible)
- 🎨 Limited customization options for colors and themes

**Reported bugs**

- Cloud sync not working across devices despite paid subscription
- App crashes when using photo effects
- Calendar not syncing or displaying properly
- Notebooks disappearing or becoming unopenable
- Text boxes misaligning after app closure

**Requested features**

- Dark mode or black background option
- Screen lock/page lock to prevent accidental writing
- Apple Pencil advanced features (highlighter, squeeze, double-tap)
- Text formatting options (resize, color change for selected text)
- More page layout templates and line spacing options


### Oriora Study

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oriora-study/id6786962190)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $20 Oriora Credit | $23.90 | one-time |
| $30 Oriora Credit | $35.49 | one-time |
| $50 Oriora Credit | $58.90 | one-time |
| $80 Oriora Credit | $94.90 | one-time |
| $100 Oriora Credit | $117.99 | one-time |
| $150 Oriora Credit | $176.99 | one-time |
| $200 Oriora Credit | $239.00 | one-time |
| $250 Oriora Credit | $294.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penjo free?

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

### Is Oriora Study free?

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

### Do Penjo or Oriora Study have ads?

Neither Penjo nor Oriora Study shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penjo or Oriora Study?

Penjo ships an update every 11 days, and Oriora Study weekly. Most recently, Penjo was updated on November 12, 2026 and Oriora Study on October 31, 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.*