# AskMe Desk vs Pencil

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AskMe Desk at none against Pencil's 2. AskMe Desk also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). Pencil's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pencil sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. AskMe Desk asks for nothing beyond the download.

AskMe Desk ships an update every 3 weeks, Pencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AskMe Desk | Pencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 79 MB | 504 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lascaux S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/386758399) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### AskMe Desk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/askme-desk/id998518127)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pencil-pdf-notes-with-pencil/id6466286421)

Create beautiful notes, sketch ideas, and annotate PDFs with advanced ink tools and AI assistance. Convert handwriting to text, scan documents, and organize files seamlessly across cloud services. Enjoy a realistic ink-on-paper feel with stylus support.

**Highlights:** Advanced ink tools for writing and sketching, AI Assistant for summarization and translation, Handwritten notes to editable text conversion, Document scanning with automatic frame recognition, Cloud service integration for file management, Full-text search for PDFs, PDF reader with highlighting and read aloud

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All and AI Assistant | $2.99 | per month |
| GoodPencil Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AskMe Desk free?

AskMe Desk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pencil free?

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

### Do AskMe Desk or Pencil have ads?

Neither AskMe Desk nor Pencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AskMe Desk or Pencil?

AskMe Desk ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pencil every 8 days. Most recently, AskMe Desk was updated on October 26, 2026 and Pencil on October 24, 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.*