# BranchIS vs Pencil Notes

The clearest difference is price: BranchIS at Free against Pencil Notes's $1.99. Pencil Notes's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#190 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

BranchIS is free to download; Pencil Notes costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BranchIS ships an update every 2 months, Pencil Notes every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BranchIS | Pencil Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#190** |
| Size | 52 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [E LINKX a.s.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1778207414) | [Kliv Spahiu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1867066303) |

## What reviewers say

### BranchIS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/branchis-ems-and-processmining/id6737834365)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pencil Notes

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

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BranchIS free?

BranchIS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pencil Notes free?

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

### Do BranchIS or Pencil Notes have ads?

Neither BranchIS nor Pencil Notes shows ads.

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

BranchIS ships an update every 2 months, and Pencil Notes every 4 weeks. Most recently, BranchIS was updated on October 25, 2026 and Pencil Notes on October 28, 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.*