# Feenote vs Penbook

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Feenote at 91% against Penbook's 58%. Feenote also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.1). Penbook's advantage is ratings volume (46K vs 2.1K). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Feenote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 3 months and Penbook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Feenote holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Penbook has 46K ratings behind it against 2.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Feenote's written reviews are positive against 58% of Penbook's.

Feenote ships an update weekly, Penbook every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Feenote | Penbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feenote-notes-and-lists/id822218131/reviews)** | [4.5 (46K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K | **46K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.0% of reviews** | 57.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 110 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [惠明 劳](https://appshunter.io/developer/1059680523) | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) |

## What reviewers say

### Feenote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feenote-notes-and-lists/id822218131)

Capture ideas, inspiration, and creativity with a simple yet powerful note-taking application. Supports handwriting with styluses or fingers, image insertion, and sharing options. Protect your notes with a passcode.

**Highlights:** Handwriting with Apple Pencil or stylus, Customizable pen color, thickness, and style, Add images to notes, App security passcode, Share notes to friends or social media

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Months Subscription | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription(1 Year) | $9.99 | per year |
| Professional/3 months | $4.99 | one-time |
| Professional/one year | $9.99 | one-time |
| Professional | $19.99 | one-time |
| Professional / permanent | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing app
- 👍 Helpful for school/work
- 🔒 Secure with password
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Organized and efficient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs
- 💰 Some features require payment
- 🖋️ Limited handwriting capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Handwriting recognition issues
- Compatibility problems with certain devices
- Unexpected crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- More handwriting options
- Ability to add images/drawings
- Offline access
- Backup/sync capabilities


### Penbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penbook-paper-planner-and-notes/id1473064295)

Create custom digital notebooks with a vast library of stationery or import your own PDFs for annotation. Write naturally with a stylus and organize your notes with dynamic features like live planners and searchable handwriting.

**Highlights:** Live Paper dynamic stationery, Over 400 stationery types, Import and annotate PDFs, Natural handwriting with stylus, Searchable handwritten notes, Shape recognition, Customizable notebook covers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Penbook Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| Penbook Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Penbook Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Variety of customization options for notebooks
- 📝 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil
- 🗓️ Useful calendar integration
- 💡 Innovative features like washi tape and stickers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and data loss issues
- 🔒 Lack of password protection or locking feature
- 🔧 Glitchy zooming and ruler functionality
- 🧭 Poor notebook and page management
- 💰 Restrictive free version, expensive subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Sticker resizing issues causing app freezes
- Ruler placement and alignment problems
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between pages
- Calendar sync not working as expected
- PDF import and annotation functionality not reliable

**Requested features**

- Allow custom notebook covers or images
- Add text box and typing capabilities
- Improve organization with folders or tags
- Provide more customization options for templates
- Implement a more intuitive undo/redo system


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Feenote free?

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

### Is Penbook free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Feenote or Penbook?

Feenote is rated higher. Feenote averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Penbook averages 4.5 from 46K ratings.

### Do Feenote or Penbook have ads?

Neither Feenote nor Penbook shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Feenote or Penbook?

Feenote ships an update weekly, and Penbook every 5 days. Most recently, Feenote was updated on November 1, 2026 and Penbook on November 5, 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.*