Pencilo vs Ariv
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Pencilo
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Pencilo is a developer-focused task workspace built for iPad. Capture ideas instantly with Apple Pencil, keep handwritten notes next to tasks, and stay in flow from planning to execution. What you can do with Pencilo: ⢠Capture tasks your way Create tasks by typing, drawing, or pasting text. Pencil capture helps you jot down work quickly when ideas arrive. ⢠Organize projects with clarity Use project workspaces with list and board views to manage open, completed, and skipped tasks at a glance. ⢠Keep notes close to execution Open a dedicated notepad for each project, write naturally with Apple Pencil, and keep task context where you need it. ⢠Track focus and progress Start, pause, and resume active work sessions with built-in time tracking so you always know where your time goes. ⢠Use AI as a practical teammate Generate daily plans, summarize notepad content, and convert action items into tasks you can apply with review-first control. ⢠Move fast with quick actions Use shortcuts for capture, timer control, and smart multi-task creation from pasted content. Pencilo is designed for builders, students, and professionals who think better with handwriting but still need a structured workflow. No clutter. Just capture, prioritize, and ship.
Ariv
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Ariv is a local-first second brain for notes, tasks, journaling, study, projects, and personal knowledge management. Capture ideas, organize work, search your vault, ask questions about your notes, and keep your thinking connected without building a complicated plugin setup. Everything is built in: - Markdown notes and daily writing - Smart dashboard for active work - Tasks and Kanban - Quick capture - Voice memos with transcription - Ask Brain, an AI assistant for your notes - Calendar-aware planning and meeting context - Graph view and visual maps - Templates and presentation mode - Unified search across files, tags, and content Ariv is designed around a simple idea: your notes have a life. New thoughts land in your inbox. Active notes stay visible while you are working on them. Older notes move out of the way but stay searchable, linkable, and ready to resurface when you need them. No manual filing system required. No weekend spent setting up plugins. Open the app and start thinking. Your files stay yours: - Notes are stored as plain Markdown - Works with existing Markdown folders and vaults - No proprietary format - No account required to use the local app - Optional end-to-end encrypted sync is available AI is optional and on your terms. Use your own API key, run supported local models, or use Ariv's managed AI add-on. Ask Brain can answer questions from your vault and point back to the notes it used. Whether you are a student, writer, researcher, developer, founder, or lifelong learner, Ariv gives you one place to capture, connect, and use what you know. Think freely. No setup required.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Ariv at 15.0 against Pencilo's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Pencilo | Ariv |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 ā better |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 86 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pooja Kumari | Ariv Studios |
In-app purchases
Pencilo
No in-app purchases
Ariv
No in-app purchases









