Comparison

Pencil vs StudyJourney

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

StudyJourney

Transform study sessions into engaging virtual journeys with a focus timer. Track progress, build streaks, and unlock new routes and cabins. Keep your study data private and on your device.

Highlights
  • Immersive virtual journeys
  • Focus timer
  • Live route view
  • Progress tracking
  • Optional app blocking
  • Unlockable cabins and routes
Features
Read full description

StudyJourney turns focus sessions into immersive virtual journeys. Pick a route, choose what you want to work on, and start a timer that helps you stay with the task. • Start a focused session in seconds • Study through plane, train, and ship journeys • Use a live route view to make progress feel tangible • Track focused minutes, completed journeys, subjects, and streaks • Keep your study profile and history on your device. • Use optional app blocking during a focus session • Unlock Pro cabins and scenic routes with monthly, yearly, or lifetime access StudyJourney keeps your student profile, subjects, assignments, and journey history on your device. Location is optional and is used while the app is open to help choose a nearby departure point. No online account is required. Terms of Use: https://study-journey-app.vercel.app/terms

Screenshots

Pencil4 screens
StudyJourney4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StudyJourney at 5.0 against Pencil's 4.0. StudyJourney also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Pencil's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and StudyJourney sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StudyJourney holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pencil versus StudyJourney: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencilStudyJourney
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size511 MB126 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKairoos Solutions SLManish preet ram Saravanan

Customer experience

Pencil

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

StudyJourney

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
3 purchases

StudyJourney

Subscriptions2
  • StudyJourney Pro — Monthly$4.991 Month
  • StudyJourney Pro — Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • StudyJourney Pro — Lifetime$59.99

Questions

Is Pencil free?
Pencil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is StudyJourney free?
StudyJourney is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pencil or StudyJourney?
StudyJourney is rated higher. Pencil averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while StudyJourney averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Pencil or StudyJourney have ads?
Neither Pencil nor StudyJourney shows ads.

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