# Pencil Box vs Linea Sketch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Linea Sketch at 62% against Pencil Box's 0%. Linea Sketch also leads on ratings volume (803 vs 1). Pencil Box's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Linea Sketch sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Pencil Box asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pencil Box holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Linea Sketch has 803 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of Pencil Box's written reviews are positive against 62% of Linea Sketch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pencil Box ships an update fortnightly, Linea Sketch every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Box | Linea Sketch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-box/id790309003/reviews)** | [3.7 (803 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linea-sketch/id1094770251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **803** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **62.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 133 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fays Lane Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/430181334) | [The Iconfactory](https://appshunter.io/developer/281795483) |

## What reviewers say

### Pencil Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-box/id790309003)

Unleash your creativity with a versatile drawing tool. Select from various brushes, pens, and shapes, customize their properties, and utilize layers for complex designs. Import and export your artwork seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Multiple drawing tools (airbrush, pen, pencil, line, shapes), Adjustable tool color, size, and transparency, Layer support with transparency and visibility control, Import drawings from Mail and iTunes, Export drawings via iTunes, Sync tool preferences with iCloud

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Linea Sketch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linea-sketch/id1094770251)

This app provides a powerful yet intuitive drawing and note-taking experience. Its minimalist interface keeps the focus on your creations, offering features like intelligent shape creation, precise layer management, and artistic brushes. Record your process with time-lapse and utilize various grids and templates for diverse projects.

**Highlights:** Minimalist UI, Intelligent shape creation (ZipShapes), Elegant layer management, Artistic watercolor brush, Time-lapse recording, Grids and templates, Annotation tools

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Linea Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Linea Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Linea Full Purchase | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 Great for sketching and note-taking
- 💡 Clever color picker
- 🚀 Responsive with Apple Pencil
- 👍 Layers and blending tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with fill tool
- 🐛 Difficulty controlling pencil/marker thickness
- 💡 Limited brush and tool options
- 💡 Lack of canvas resizing and expansion

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings disappearing or not saving properly
- Layers and colors not behaving as expected
- Sudden crashes when switching tools or actions
- Slow performance and loading issues

**Requested features**

- Add smudge/blending tool
- Implement watercolor brush
- Include text tool and annotation options
- Support for higher resolution canvases
- Introduce animation and video features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Box free?

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

### Is Linea Sketch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Box or Linea Sketch?

Pencil Box is rated higher. Pencil Box averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Linea Sketch averages 3.7 from 803 ratings.

### Do Pencil Box or Linea Sketch have ads?

Neither Pencil Box nor Linea Sketch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Box or Linea Sketch?

Pencil Box ships an update fortnightly, and Linea Sketch every 3 months. Most recently, Pencil Box was updated on November 6, 2026 and Linea Sketch on November 9, 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.*