# NextNote vs Pencil Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: NextNote at every 5 days against Pencil Notes's every 4 weeks. Pencil Notes's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $5.99) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NextNote costs $5.99 and Pencil Notes $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NextNote ships an update every 5 days, Pencil Notes every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NextNote | Pencil Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **$1.99** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Best chart rank | — | **#180** |
| Size | 80 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [劲灿 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547584056) | [Kliv Spahiu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867066303) |

## What reviewers say

### NextNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nextnote-notes-and-ai-writing/id6503905670)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pencil Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-notes-handwriting/id6787762712)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NextNote free?

NextNote costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pencil Notes free?

Pencil Notes costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NextNote or Pencil Notes have ads?

Neither NextNote nor Pencil Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NextNote or Pencil Notes?

NextNote ships an update every 5 days, and Pencil Notes every 4 weeks. Most recently, NextNote was updated on October 30, 2026 and Pencil Notes on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*