# Pencil Planner vs Ruby

The clearest difference is rating: Ruby at 5.0 against Pencil Planner's 4.6. Ruby also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.4). Pencil Planner's advantage is ratings volume (34 vs 1) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pencil Planner sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and Ruby sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ruby holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pencil Planner has 34 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Pencil Planner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ruby's.

Pencil Planner ships an update every 8 days, Ruby monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Planner | Ruby |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-planner-penciltime/id6743547785/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruby-private-voice-journal/id6754594782/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **34** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Semore Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551678206) | [Oliver Saylor](https://appshunter.io/developer/691952957) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Planner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-planner-penciltime/id6743547785)

This app offers a handwritten digital planner with calendar, notebook, and reminder features. It allows natural writing with a stylus, visual planning using stickers, and easy navigation between linked pages. Organize notes, set timed reminders, and plan across daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly views.

**Highlights:** Handwritten digital planner, Calendar views (Day, Week, Month, Year), Note pages with templates, Stickers for visual planning, Reminder Label Stickers, Link Stickers for navigation, Bookmarks for quick access

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $49.99 | one-time |


### Ruby

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ruby-private-voice-journal/id6754594782)

Effortlessly capture your thoughts and feelings using your voice. This AI-powered journal transforms spoken words into organized written entries, offering insights and prompts for self-reflection. Enjoy a private, ad-free space to improve your mood, focus, and mental well-being.

**Highlights:** Voice-to-text journaling, Smart AI insights, Completely private storage, Daily reflection prompts, Minimalist design, Track personal growth

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Planner free?

Pencil Planner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ruby free?

Ruby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Planner or Ruby?

Ruby is rated higher. Pencil Planner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Ruby averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pencil Planner or Ruby have ads?

Neither Pencil Planner nor Ruby shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Planner or Ruby?

Pencil Planner ships an update every 8 days, and Ruby monthly. Most recently, Pencil Planner was updated on October 28, 2026 and Ruby on October 22, 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.*