Comparison

VimNotes vs Pencil Notes

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

Head to head
About

VimNotes

Features
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VimNotes brings real modal editing to your pocket. If you live in vim on the desktop, you finally have a notes app that thinks the way your fingers do. Tap `i` to insert. Esc to go back to NORMAL. Compose with the motions and operators you already know — no relearning, no compromise. WHY VIMNOTES • Real modal editing — NORMAL, INSERT, VISUAL, and COMMAND modes, not a toolbar wearing a vim costume. • Motions you know — h j k l, w b e, 0 $, gg G, plus counts (3w, 5j, d2w). • Operators that compose — d, y, c with any motion. dd, yy, cc shortcuts. Visual-mode operations. • Undo and redo — deep history (up to 100 steps) so experiments are always reversible. • Registers — yank and paste with the unnamed register. • Ex commands — :w, :q, :wq and friends from a familiar command line. • Built for thumbs — a custom on-screen key row keeps Esc, :, and motions one tap away. PRIVACY-FIRST BY DESIGN • 100% offline. No accounts. No sign-up. No cloud. • No analytics. No tracking. No third-party SDKs phoning home. • Your notes live in a local SQLite database on your device and nowhere else. • No network permission requested — the app physically cannot exfiltrate your data. BUILT FOR WRITERS WHO CODE VimNotes is the daily driver for engineers, technical writers, students, and anyone who already touch-types in a modal editor. Capture meeting notes, draft commit messages, sketch designs in markdown, keep a journal — without ever leaving the keystroke vocabulary you already mastered. FEATURES • Modal editor: NORMAL / INSERT / VISUAL / COMMAND • Motions: h j k l w b e 0 $ gg G with count prefixes • Operators: d y c (delete, yank, change) over motions and visual selections • Line shortcuts: dd, yy, cc, D, C • Undo / redo with a 100-step history • Ex commands: :w :q :wq :q! • Local SQLite storage — fast, durable, private • Light and dark interface • Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support • iPhone, all screen sizes NO STRINGS VimNotes is free of ads, trackers, telemetry, and subscriptions. One app, one purpose: let you write the way you already think. If you have feedback or run into trouble, visit https://moruk.ai/support — we read every message.

About

Pencil Notes

Features
Read full description

# Pencil Notes — Your Simple Apple Pencil Notebook Turn your iPad into a simple, distraction-free notebook designed for Apple Pencil. Write naturally, organize your ideas, annotate documents, and export your work — all without subscriptions or complicated setup. ## WRITE NATURALLY Pencil Notes is built around the feeling of writing on real paper. • Write with Apple Pencil • Create unlimited notebooks and pages • Choose blank, lined, dotted, or grid paper • Use a pressure-sensitive pen • Highlight important ideas • Undo and redo with ease • Zoom and pan while writing Whether you're taking notes, planning your day, journaling, brainstorming, or simply sketching, Pencil Notes keeps things simple. ## WRITE ON PDFs Import a PDF and write directly on it with Apple Pencil. Highlight text, add handwritten notes, draw, underline, circle important information, and mark up documents naturally. Perfect for: • Study materials • Lecture notes • Work documents • Forms and worksheets • Research papers • Presentations • Personal documents ## ANNOTATE IMAGES Import an image and use your Apple Pencil to write, draw, mark up, or add notes directly on it. ## EXPORT YOUR WORK When you're finished, export your handwritten pages, PDF annotations, or marked-up images and share them wherever you need. ## PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your notes stay on your iPad. No account required. No subscription. No cloud storage. No ads. Just open the app and start writing. ## MADE FOR EVERYDAY USE Use Pencil Notes for: • Class and lecture notes • Meetings • To-do lists • Journaling • Planning • Brainstorming • Sketching • PDF annotation • Document markup • Personal notes ## SIMPLE BY CHOICE Pencil Notes isn't trying to replace every app on your iPad. It's a simple place to write. Open it. Pick a page. Grab your Apple Pencil. Start writing. **Pencil Notes is available for a one-time purchase — no recurring subscription.**

Screenshots

VimNotes4 screens
Pencil Notes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pencil Notes at $0.99 against VimNotes's $9.99. Pencil Notes also leads on ads (none vs shown). VimNotes's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

VimNotes costs $9.99 and Pencil Notes $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VimNotes ships an update every 3 days, Pencil Notes fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
VimNotes versus Pencil Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVimNotesPencil Notes
Price$9.99$0.99 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMoruk LLCKliv Spahiu

In-app purchases

None

VimNotes

No in-app purchases

None

Pencil Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VimNotes free?
VimNotes costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pencil Notes free?
Pencil Notes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do VimNotes or Pencil Notes have ads?
VimNotes shows ads; Pencil Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, VimNotes or Pencil Notes?
VimNotes ships an update every 3 days, and Pencil Notes fortnightly. Most recently, VimNotes was updated on September 19, 2026 and Pencil Notes on September 25, 2026.

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