Comparison

LivePen vs Neo Studio 2

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

Head to head
About

LivePen

Instantly digitize your handwritten notes and drawings from paper to your smartphone. Capture ideas, sketches, and important information in ink and bring them into your digital world for easy access and sharing.

Highlights
  • Instant digital capture of handwritten content
  • Syncs ink from paper to smartphone
  • Converts handwritten notes to text
  • Share digital notes and sketches
  • Organize captured ideas and sketches
Read full description

The companion app for LivePen from Livescribe. When used together, whatever you write and draw in ink on paper in the real world is instantly captured on your smartphone to use in your digital world. It’s kind of like magic! For millennia, we have written on paper to capture our ideas, sketches and notes. But all of that content, all of those imaginative thoughts have been trapped in ink on paper in the real world to probably be misplaced, lost or forgotten. Not anymore. With the LivePen app paired with LivePen, we’ve unlocked the ability to instantly bring your handwritten world, captured in ink on paper, to digital life. So, a scribbled down shopping list? Immediately on your phone. Handwritten notes from the classroom? Immediately available on your phone. Important notes from a business meeting? Already converted to text on your phone. Inspired sketched idea? Ready to share, instantly on your phone.

About

Neo Studio 2

This app digitizes your handwritten notes from paper using a smartpen. It offers features like text extraction, area selection for sharing, and automatic separation of overlapping handwriting. Enjoy real-time synchronization across devices for a seamless note-taking experience.

Highlights
  • Digitize handwriting on paper
  • Text extraction from notes
  • Lasso tool for area selection
  • Automatic separation of overlapping handwriting
  • Real-time synchronization
  • Voice recording
Features
Read full description

A note-taking app that digitizes handwriting on paper. Reborn as the dedicated application for Neo Smartpen: Neo Studio 2! Experience the improved Neo Studio 2 with a more convenient and streamlined note-taking environment, expanding the handwriting paradigm. #Introduction of Main Features [Page View] Now you can scroll through the timeline with a single page view. You can easily check your handwritten notes without entering a detailed page. [Text Extraction] The previous 'Handwriting Recognition' function has been renamed to 'Text Extraction.' It has also been changed to a button at the bottom right of the handwriting detail page, allowing you to instantly convert your handwritten content into text. [Lasso Tool] In the handwriting detail page, you can select specific areas with the Lasso Tool for text extraction or to share only the selected area. [Split] Now overlapping handwriting is automatically separated. This addresses the issue of choosing the right time of overlapping notes, allowing you to isolate them and then automatically separate into the same notebook as the first writing. [Connect Only This Pen] If other smart pens are on, they may automatically connect to the app, but now you can focus on one pen, adding this feature to boost concentration. [Synchronization] Synchronization is now done in real-time without manual intervention, so you can log in with your existing account on any device, and your handwritten data will be reflected automatically. [Compatible Smartpens for Neo Studio] Neo Smartpen A1 (NWP-F151), Neo Smartpen R1 (NWP-F40), Neo Smartpen R1(NWP-F45-NC), Neo Smartpen M1 (NWP-F50), Neo Smartpen M1+ (NWP-F51), Neo Smartpen N2 (NWP-F121C), Neo Smartpen dimo (NWP-F30), LAMY Sadari all black ncode (NWP-F80) [Service Access Permission Information] - Bluetooth: Used to connect smart pens and devices through Bluetooth. - Photo permission: Used to set notebook covers with personal photos or save shared files to the device. - Audio recording and microphone: Used for voice recording in Neo Studio 2. * If you don't agree to these permissions, some features of the service might not function properly. * The Neo Studio 2 app's access permissions are compatible with iOS 16 or later versions. [Service Access Permissions Guide] Bluetooth: Used to connect the smartpen and device Photo access: Used to set personal photos as notebook covers or to save shared files to the device Audio recording & microphone: Used for the voice recording feature of Neo Studio 2 Some features may not function properly if permissions are not granted. Neo Studio 2 requires iOS 16 or later.

Screenshots

LivePen4 screens
Neo Studio 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LivePen at 3.0 against Neo Studio 2's 1.8. LivePen also leads on review sentiment (34% vs 20%) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LivePen holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of LivePen's written reviews are positive against 20% of Neo Studio 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LivePen ships an update every 11 days, Neo Studio 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
LivePen versus Neo Studio 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLivePenNeo Studio 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (34 ratings) — better1.8 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews34.2% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings34 — better19
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB693 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLivescribe Inc.NeoLAB Convergence Inc

Customer experience

LivePen

All ratings34 ratings
Positive38.2%
Neutral20.6%
Negative41.2%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive34.2%
Neutral23.7%
Negative42.1%

Neo Studio 2

All ratings19 ratings
Positive21.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative78.9%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

None

LivePen

No in-app purchases

None

Neo Studio 2

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LivePen free?
LivePen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Neo Studio 2 free?
Neo Studio 2 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LivePen or Neo Studio 2?
LivePen is rated higher. LivePen averages 3.0 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Neo Studio 2 averages 1.8 from 19 ratings.
Do LivePen or Neo Studio 2 have ads?
Neither LivePen nor Neo Studio 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LivePen or Neo Studio 2?
LivePen ships an update every 11 days, and Neo Studio 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, LivePen was updated on June 8, 2026 and Neo Studio 2 on September 2, 2026.

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