# Penjo vs Daily Diary Notes

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Daily Diary Notes at none against Penjo's 3. Penjo's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Penjo sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Daily Diary Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Penjo ships an update every 11 days, Daily Diary Notes every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Penjo | Daily Diary Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (282 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penjo-pencil-journal-planner/id6446053076/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **282** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zafer ARICAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118422608) | [Official Vishwateja](https://appshunter.io/developer/1848761157) |

## 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 digitally. Integrate your calendar events and reminders, then use your notes and photos to create a daily diary. Search your handwritten entries and synced across your Apple devices.

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


### Daily Diary Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-diary-notes/id6795324786)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Penjo free?

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

### Is Daily Diary Notes free?

Daily Diary Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Penjo or Daily Diary Notes have ads?

Neither Penjo nor Daily Diary Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Penjo or Daily Diary Notes?

Penjo ships an update every 11 days, and Daily Diary Notes every 6 weeks. Most recently, Penjo was updated on November 3, 2026 and Daily Diary Notes on November 6, 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.*