# BoardNotes vs Pencil

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BoardNotes at 80% against Pencil's 25%. BoardNotes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (115 vs 4). Pencil's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. BoardNotes sells 23 one-off in-app purchases 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.

BoardNotes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BoardNotes has 115 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of BoardNotes's written reviews are positive against 25% of Pencil's.

BoardNotes ships an update every 10 days, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BoardNotes | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **115** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 342 MB | 465 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chongqing Ouluowa Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686544790) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### BoardNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boardnotes-notes-pdf-docs/id6448847544)

This app combines whiteboard, notebook, PDF management, mind mapping, and flashcard creation into a single, versatile handwriting note-taking tool. It offers a wide array of pen types, organizational features, and study aids to enhance productivity and learning.

**Highlights:** Handwriting note-taking, Integrated whiteboard, PDF import and editing, Mind mapping functionality, Spaced repetition flashcards, Multiple pen and brush types, Layer management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 days membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 days membership | $0.99 | one-time |
| Math Formula Recognition | $1.99 | one-time |
| 1 month membership | $1.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership (discount) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $4.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Full version Unlock | $5.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership (discount) | $5.99 | one-time |
| 6 months membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $6.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $6.99 | one-time |
| Spring Festival Discount | $6.99 | one-time |
| Annual Membership | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All(discount) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $8.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $9.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Unlock All | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 All-in-one app
- 💡 Feature-rich note-taking
- ✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase
- 🚀 Smooth performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔥 Device gets hot
- 🐛 Data loss (whiteboards erased)
- 🚫 No automatic backup
- 🔍 Limited search functions

**Reported bugs**

- Whiteboards erasing automatically
- No automatic backup leading to data loss
- Syncing issues between iPad and Mac
- Pencil tip not appearing on PDF annotations
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Sync to Google Drive/other cloud services
- Faster 'add to cards' function
- View carded items in sidebar
- Color coding for pins
- Image opacity adjustment


### 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 BoardNotes free?

BoardNotes 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, BoardNotes or Pencil?

BoardNotes is rated higher. BoardNotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Pencil averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do BoardNotes or Pencil have ads?

BoardNotes shows ads; Pencil does not.

### Which is updated more often, BoardNotes or Pencil?

BoardNotes ships an update every 10 days, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, BoardNotes was updated on October 8, 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.*