Comparison

Pencil vs Sorin Study

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pencil

This app allows users to handwrite, sketch, and annotate PDFs on their iPad and iPhone. It supports Apple Pencil and other styluses for note-taking, drawing, and even watercolor painting. Features include audio recording within notes and AI assistance for summarizing and translation.

Highlights
  • Handwrite and sketch with stylus or finger
  • Annotate and mark up PDFs
  • Record audio directly in notes
  • Create formatted text notes
  • Watercolor painting workspace
  • Scan and import documents
  • AI assistance for summaries and translation
Features
Read full description

Pencil brings handwriting, sketching, PDF annotation and watercolor painting to iPad and iPhone. Designed especially for Apple Pencil on iPad, it also works with other compatible styluses and your finger. Take notes in class, mark up a document, plan your week or paint an idea while it is still fresh. • Write and sketch your way. Use Apple Pencil on iPad, or write and draw with a compatible stylus or your finger on iPad and iPhone. Start a PDF note from a paper template, choose your ink colors and add typed text, images and shapes. Use lined or grid backgrounds to give your notes structure. • Make your PDFs useful. Highlight passages, add comments, write in the margins and insert your signature. Search inside a document, bookmark important pages and rearrange, duplicate or rotate pages as your work develops. • Keep the conversation with your notes. Record audio directly in a PDF note and play it back alongside the page. Revisit a lecture, meeting or explanation without separating the recording from your written notes. • Type when words come first. Create formatted Text Notes with fonts, colors, lists, checklists, tables and images. Turn a quick thought into a clear set of notes, a plan or a longer draft, then export it as a PDF to share. • Explore watercolor painting. Open a dedicated painting workspace, choose your paper and experiment with brushes, mixed colors and washes. Paint from a reference photo, try guided practice lessons and export your painting as an image or PDF. • Bring paper into your notebook. Scan documents with the camera, import files through the Files app and add photos to your work. Keep notes, PDFs and paintings organized in folders, ready to return to when you need them. • Get help from AI. Ask questions about your documents, summarize a passage, explain an unfamiliar concept or translate selected text. Use AI Chat to work through an idea alongside your notes. Privacy Policy: https://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Sorin Study

Features
Read full description

Sorin Study is a clean way to track your study sessions — without ads, upsells, or clutter. Start a session with one tap, see your totals, and keep a simple record of your time. Track study sessions instantly View daily and weekly totals Review a clear activity history Sync across devices Stay private — no accounts required Use it with no ads, no subscriptions, no bloat A quiet space to study, log your time, and move on.

Screenshots

Pencil4 screens
Sorin Study4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sorin Study at none against Pencil's 4. Sorin Study also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pencil sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Sorin Study asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pencil versus Sorin Study: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencilSorin Study
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size511 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKairoos Solutions SLRory Schofield

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Pencil

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$1.997 Days
  • Unlock All and AI Assistant3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pencil Annual3 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pencil Lifetime$14.99
None

Sorin Study

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pencil free?
Pencil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sorin Study free?
Sorin Study is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pencil or Sorin Study have ads?
Neither Pencil nor Sorin Study shows ads.

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