# Notator | Annotate Documents vs Pencil

The clearest difference is rating: Pencil at 4.0 against Notator | Annotate Documents's 2.0. Pencil also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notator | Annotate Documents sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month 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.

Pencil holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Notator | Annotate Documents ships an update every 2 months, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notator | Annotate Documents | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notator-annotate-documents/id6447326736/reviews) | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 30 MB | 465 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CIMTOPS SG LAB Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1657070999) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### Notator | Annotate Documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notator-annotate-documents/id6447326736)

This app allows for detailed annotation of PDFs and images with various tools, including support for Apple Pencil. It offers flexible import options, high-quality rendering for large files, and intuitive page management. Upgrade to Pro for advanced export and editing capabilities.

**Highlights:** PDF and image annotation, Apple Pencil support, Flexible PDF import, High-quality PDF support, Zoom up to 1000%, Intuitive page management, Cloud storage integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notator Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Notator Pro Yearly | $8.99 | per year |


### 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 Notator | Annotate Documents free?

Notator | Annotate Documents 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, Notator | Annotate Documents or Pencil?

Pencil is rated higher. Notator | Annotate Documents averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Pencil averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Notator | Annotate Documents or Pencil have ads?

Neither Notator | Annotate Documents nor Pencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Notator | Annotate Documents or Pencil?

Notator | Annotate Documents ships an update every 2 months, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, Notator | Annotate Documents was updated on October 6, 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.*