# Pencil Box vs Noteshelf

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Noteshelf at 57% against Pencil Box's 0%. Noteshelf also leads on ratings volume (7.2K vs 1) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Pencil Box's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Noteshelf sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Pencil Box asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pencil Box holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noteshelf has 7.2K 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 57% of Noteshelf's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pencil Box ships an update fortnightly, Noteshelf every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pencil Box | Noteshelf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-box/id790309003/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **7.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **57.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 558 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fays Lane Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/430181334) | [Fluid Touch Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/318004740) |

## 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


### Noteshelf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noteshelf-ai-notes-and-pdf/id6458735203)

Create handwritten notes, annotate PDFs, and record audio with this app. It offers extensive customization for notebooks, a variety of writing tools, and AI-powered features for summarization and translation. Organize your thoughts and documents seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Handwritten note creation, PDF annotation and markup, Audio recording with notes, AI-powered summarization and translation, Customizable notebooks and templates, Handwriting to text conversion, Document scanning and import

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf 3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Weekly Premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf3 Monthly Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf 3 Yearly Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Noteshelf3 Yearly Premium | $79.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Premium for Noteshelf 2 users | $9.99 | one-time |
| Noteshelf 3 Premium - Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth handwriting experience
- 📚 Versatile note-taking features
- 🎨 Customizable templates and covers
- 🔍 Accurate handwriting recognition
- 💻 Seamless integration across devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔄 Sync issues between devices
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
- 🔍 Unreliable search functionality
- 🔧 Buggy or missing features from previous versions

**Reported bugs**

- Notebooks failing to open or sync correctly
- Handwriting recognition not working as expected
- Imported PDFs losing formatting or functionality
- Unexpected loss of data or notes
- Compatibility issues with older devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to create folders within notebooks
- Improve page organization and navigation
- Implement a more intuitive color picker and pen customization
- Introduce a history/undo feature for linked pages
- Add support for custom stickers and templates


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pencil Box free?

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

### Is Noteshelf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pencil Box or Noteshelf?

Pencil Box is rated higher. Pencil Box averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Noteshelf averages 4.6 from 7.2K ratings.

### Do Pencil Box or Noteshelf have ads?

Neither Pencil Box nor Noteshelf shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pencil Box or Noteshelf?

Pencil Box ships an update fortnightly, and Noteshelf every 4 days. Most recently, Pencil Box was updated on October 23, 2026 and Noteshelf on October 29, 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.*