# Diary AI vs Pencil Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pencil Notes at fortnightly against Diary AI's every 16 months. Pencil Notes also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Diary AI's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Diary AI costs $0.99 and Pencil Notes $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Diary AI ships an update every 16 months, Pencil Notes fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Diary AI | Pencil Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $1.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Size | 3 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juiko Ong](https://appshunter.io/developer/639263890) | [Kliv Spahiu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867066303) |

## What reviewers say

### Diary AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/diary-ai/id6532618062)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pencil Notes

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

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Diary AI free?

Diary AI costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pencil Notes free?

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

### Do Diary AI or Pencil Notes have ads?

Neither Diary AI nor Pencil Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Diary AI or Pencil Notes?

Diary AI ships an update every 16 months, and Pencil Notes fortnightly. Most recently, Diary AI was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pencil Notes 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.*