Comparison

Pencil Grades vs Noteleaf

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

Head to head
About

Pencil Grades

Features
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Pencil Grades is a focused reference and practice companion for graphite drawing โ€” from 9H precision lines all the way to a velvety 9B. A clean grade chart, paired techniques and a simple session log on a single stage. No clutter, no popups, no upsells. KEY FEATURES โ€ข Complete 9H to 9B grade chart with darkness, hardness and tonal range โ€ข Each grade lists ideal use cases โ€” drafting, underdrawing, portrait, expressive shading โ€ข Curated drawing techniques: parallel hatch, cross-hatch, stippling, smooth blend, scumble, sgraffito, frottage and more โ€ข Each technique paired with the grades that suit it best โ€ข Session log to track what you practiced, which grade you used and for how long โ€ข Italian-paper aesthetic with quiet typography โ€” built to stay out of the way BUILT FOR PRACTICE Whether you are blocking in an architectural drawing, working a tonal portrait, or pushing a quick gesture sketch, Pencil Grades helps you pick the right pencil and the right mark. PRIVACY No tracking. No accounts. Your session log lives on your device.

About

Noteleaf

Features
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Noteleaf is a handwriting notebook that feels like real looseleaf paper. Write freely with Apple Pencil, rearrange pages, choose from templates, and make it your own. โ–  Key Features Looseleaf Feel Pages can be reordered freely, just like real looseleaf paper. Move, insert, or remove pages to organize your notes the way you want. Handwriting with Apple Pencil Write naturally with Apple Pencil. Supports Scribble. Turn on Apple Pencil-Only Mode in Settings to prevent accidental palm touches. Ruler Tool Draw perfectly straight lines at any angle using the on-screen ruler โ€” no physical ruler needed. 10 Page Templates Choose from blank, lined, wide-ruled, grid, dot grid, Cornell, and more. Mix templates freely within a single notebook. 16 Leather Cover Colors Personalize each notebook with a color that suits you โ€” 16 rich leather-style covers to choose from. PDF Export Export any notebook as a PDF to share or archive your notes. Notebook Sharing Share notebooks with others in the app's native format. โ–  One-Time Purchase Noteleaf is free to download. One in-app purchase unlocks: ใƒป Unlimited notebooks (free tier: 1 notebook) ใƒป PDF export ใƒป Notebook sharing All handwriting features are available for free. No subscription. No account required.

Screenshots

Pencil Grades3 screens
Noteleaf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pencil Grades at none against Noteleaf's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Noteleaf sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pencil Grades asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Pencil Grades versus Noteleaf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPencil GradesNoteleaf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size0 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLinh Phan Nhat Khanhmasafumi matsumoto

In-app purchases

None

Pencil Grades

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Noteleaf

One-time1
  • Premium Unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Pencil Grades free?
Pencil Grades is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Noteleaf free?
Noteleaf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pencil Grades or Noteleaf have ads?
Neither Pencil Grades nor Noteleaf shows ads.

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