# Calligraphy Handbook vs Handwriting Practice App

Calligraphy Handbook and Handwriting Practice App both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Calligraphy Handbook's written reviews are positive against 27% of Handwriting Practice App's. Calligraphy Handbook also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Handwriting Practice App's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Calligraphy Handbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Handwriting Practice App sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Calligraphy Handbook against 4.4 for Handwriting Practice App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 518 and 682 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Calligraphy Handbook's written reviews are positive against 27% of Handwriting Practice App's.

Calligraphy Handbook ships an update every 4 months, Handwriting Practice App monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Calligraphy Handbook | Handwriting Practice App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (518 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075/reviews)** | [4.4 (682 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-practice-app/id1567948511/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 518 | **682** |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 26.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 257 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) | [Lidwien Veugen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448601467) |

## What reviewers say

### Calligraphy Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075)

This app is a digital tool for learning and practicing calligraphy. It offers various pens, colors, and effects for both beginners and experienced artists. Users can also challenge friends or test their skills with a calligraphy game.

**Highlights:** Digital pens and papers for learning, Unique pen and color effects, Calligraphy game for skill evaluation, 11 calligraphic pens and 1 pointed pen, 19 calligraphic hands in various styles, Layer management for artistic creation, Export creations to camera roll or email

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning calligraphy
- 💡 Variety of font styles and color options
- 👍 Calming and meditative experience
- 👍 Great for beginners and intermediate users
- 👍 Useful for practicing without supplies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Misleading about free features
- 🔒 Lack of palm rejection and input issues
- 👎 Overly strict grading system
- 👎 Limited free features, need to pay for full access

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when switching between uppercase and lowercase letters
- Undo feature causes freezing and loss of progress
- Inconsistent performance and lag when using Apple Pencil
- Restoration of in-app purchases not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more font styles, especially Gothic and modern
- Implement better palm rejection and input handling
- Allow users to favorite/save preferred font styles
- Add the ability to practice full words and sentences
- Improve export and sharing options


### Handwriting Practice App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/handwriting-practice-app/id1567948511)

Master cursive and improve your handwriting with this fun and interactive app. Practice various lettering styles and fonts with step-by-step tutorials and augmented reality projection. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists looking to enhance their penmanship and create beautiful designs.

**Highlights:** Cursive font practice, Hand lettering styles, Step-by-step tracing tutorials, Augmented reality tracing projector, Inspirational quotes and designs, Offline font access, Custom text input (Pro)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hand Lettering & Tracing PRO | $3.99 | per month |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice PRO | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $4.99 | per month |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice PRO | $19.99 | per year |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $19.99 | per year |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $34.99 | one-time |
| Cursive Handwriting Practice | $39.99 | one-time |
| Calligraphy & Handwriting PRO | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helps with handwriting
- 👍 Good for learning fonts
- 👍 Inspires creative flow
- 👍 Fun and therapeutic
- 👍 Great for lettering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Money scheme/Rip off
- 💰 Too many ads
- 💰 Limited free letters
- 💰 Expensive premium
- 💰 Not worth the cost

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot open after purchase
- Fonts do not appear
- Inspiration page has swear word
- App crashes or doesn't open

**Requested features**

- More font choices
- Add own text block
- Practice letters multiple times
- Save favorite fonts
- Make more letters free


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Calligraphy Handbook free?

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

### Is Handwriting Practice App free?

Handwriting Practice App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Calligraphy Handbook or Handwriting Practice App?

Calligraphy Handbook is rated higher. Calligraphy Handbook averages 4.5 out of 5 from 518 ratings, while Handwriting Practice App averages 4.4 from 682 ratings.

### Do Calligraphy Handbook or Handwriting Practice App have ads?

Handwriting Practice App shows ads; Calligraphy Handbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Calligraphy Handbook or Handwriting Practice App?

Calligraphy Handbook ships an update every 4 months, and Handwriting Practice App monthly. Most recently, Calligraphy Handbook was updated on September 12, 2026 and Handwriting Practice App on September 23, 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.*