Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro is the household name in apple pencil apps planner, but it's far from the only option. We track 246+ alternatives and competitors on iOS — many free, many higher-rated than you'd expect.
Compare top Apple Pencil Apps Planner (September 2026)
This app merges your digital calendar with a handwritten planner experience. Use your stylus to write directly over digital events, offering the best of both worlds for scheduling and note-taking. Plan your days, weeks, and months with a natural writing feel.
What We Love
🚀 Great calendar integration
👍 Handwriting support with Apple Pencil
📆 Ability to plan and organize on digital calendar
🔗 Syncs across devices
📝 Useful note-taking features
Room to Improve
🔒 Subscription required for full functionality
🐛 Bugs and glitches (crashes, data loss, UI issues)
This app combines journaling, planning, and note-taking with a pencil-first interface. It offers powerful handwriting search, creative image tools, and seamless integration with calendars and reminders. Organize your thoughts and tasks with flexible layouts and personalized tools.
What We Love
✍️ Excellent Apple Pencil integration and handwriting experience
📅 Seamless calendar and reminders integration
💰 One-time lifetime purchase option (no subscriptions)
🎨 Clean, minimalist, and intuitive user interface
⚡ Fast and responsive performance
📱 Works flawlessly across iOS and iPadOS devices
🖼️ Easy image insertion and manipulation on pages
🔍 Handwriting search functionality
👨💼 Responsive and helpful developer support
🎯 Focused design that avoids unnecessary clutter
📖 Perfect for daily journaling and note-taking
🔄 Cloud syncing capability (when working properly)
Room to Improve
🐛 Unreliable cloud sync across multiple devices
💳 Confusing payment model and paywall messaging
🔐 Missing security features like screen lock
📱 Limited macOS support (Intel Macs incompatible)
🎨 Limited customization options for colors and themes
📄 Cannot export entire notebooks as PDF
🖊️ Text selection and editing tools are clunky
❌ Restore purchases button broken for some users
⚠️ Automatic app updates without user permission
🔗 Broken support page links
📊 Limited page layout and template options
🎯 Calendar-centric design limits non-daily use cases
This app allows users to visually plan their schedules by drawing appointments directly onto a calendar. It offers an intuitive, pen-on-paper experience for effortless scheduling, making it ideal for families and couples to coordinate activities and boost overall productivity.
What are the best apple pencil apps planner for iPhone?
Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro tops our apple pencil apps planner ranking as of September 2026, with a 4.6-star average from 12K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Are there free apple pencil apps planner for iPhone?
Yes — 19 of the top apple pencil apps planner we rank are free to download, including Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro and Penjo: Pencil Journal, Planner.
Does Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro have ads or in-app purchases?
Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of September 2026.
How many apple pencil apps planner are on the App Store?
We track 246+ apple pencil apps planner on the iOS App Store as of September 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
What does Pencil Planner & Calendar Pro do?
This app combines your digital calendar with a handwritten planner. You can write directly over your digital events and schedule using a stylus, offering a natural writing experience for daily, weekly, and monthly planning.
What are the key features of this app?
Key features include the ability to write over digital calendar events, a natural writing experience with various styluses, customizable pen tools, undo/redo functionality, a smart eraser, and sync capabilities across devices. It also offers daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly planning views.
