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PenCake: Minimal Writing App

Diffathy, Inc. · Lifestyle · United States store
NOT IN TOP 100 HERE
View on App Store ↗ Instagram card Google Play version →
Revenue a month, worldwide EST
$10.3K
Likely $3.4K to $31K
▼ 77.4% in 14 days
New ratings
+3
in 1 days, 5.1K in total
Rating
4.3 of 5
121 ratings in this store
Countries it ranks in
2
was 0 on Oct 17, 2026

Revenue

Estimated from the grossing charts of Oct 24, 2026 in the 53 countries we track, and ratings growth on the App Store.

EST. REVENUE / YEAR · WORLDWIDE
$123.9K
Not ranked on Google Play in tracked countries
EST. LIFETIME DOWNLOADS
4.2K to 12.1K
Estimated from ratings count
WHERE IT EARNS · EST. / MONTH
  • South Korea #79 Lifestyle$9.7K · 94%
  • Malaysia #90 Lifestyle$621 · 6%
HOW SURE ARE WE
Small app: combines its grossing ranks with ratings growth (50 new ratings a month on average since launch). Tested on 418 apps with verified revenue: typically off by about 2.6 times, so the range is wide. Countries we don't track (and Google Play in China, which doesn't exist) aren't included, and neither are ads or web payments. Gross revenue before store fees.
RATINGS
121
AVG RATING
4.32
PRICE
Free
AGE
8.4y
LAST UPDATE
100d ago
VERSION
3.17
SIZE
102 MB
AGE RATING
12+

Last 30 days

From our daily snapshots of every grossing chart and daily ratings counts.

DAYS IN A GROSSING CHART
26 / 30
COUNTRIES NOW
2 (was 1)
NEW RATINGS, LAST 1 DAYS
+3
EST. REVENUE A MONTH, DAILY · BOTH STORES EST
Show daily values
Sep 25, 2026$33.1K a month
Sep 26, 2026not in a grossing chart
Sep 27, 2026$39.2K a month
Sep 28, 2026$45.3K a month
Sep 29, 2026$41.8K a month
Sep 30, 2026$39.9K a month
Oct 1, 2026$30K a month
Oct 2, 2026$31.7K a month
Oct 3, 2026$32.3K a month
Oct 4, 2026$41.3K a month
Oct 5, 2026$41.8K a month
Oct 6, 2026$37.5K a month
Oct 7, 2026not in a grossing chart
Oct 8, 2026$33.3K a month
Oct 9, 2026$45.5K a month
Oct 10, 2026$45.8K a month
Oct 11, 2026$39.8K a month
Oct 12, 2026$53.2K a month
Oct 13, 2026$41.9K a month
Oct 14, 2026$39.5K a month
Oct 15, 2026$44.3K a month
Oct 16, 2026$34.4K a month
Oct 17, 2026not in a grossing chart
Oct 18, 2026$64K a month
Oct 19, 2026$58.2K a month
Oct 20, 2026$34.8K a month
Oct 21, 2026not in a grossing chart
Oct 22, 2026not in a grossing chart
Oct 23, 2026$42.4K a month
Oct 24, 2026$10.3K a month
The same estimate as the headline, saved every day. Best rank Sep 25, 2026: #81 Lifestyle · KR. Now: #79 Lifestyle · KR.
RATINGS IN THE CORE COUNTRIES, DAILY
Show daily values
Oct 23, 20265.1K ratings
Oct 24, 20265.1K ratings
5.1K on Oct 23, 2026, 5.1K on Oct 24, 2026. New ratings track new downloads, even outside the charts.

Money and momentum

Measured from the store, not estimated.

WHAT IT CHARGES
10 purchases listed
  • Lifetime Premium Access$15.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$23.99
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$6.99
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$9.99
  • Upgrade to Premium$1.99
  • Tip the Developer$0.99
  • Tip the Developer$9.99
  • Upgrade to Premium Lifetime$19.99
Top in-app purchases as listed on the App Store, in local prices.
REVIEW MOMENTUM
0.1 reviews / week
  • Trendfalling
  • Recent reviews average4.2 stars
  • Recent 1 and 2 star share13%
From the latest 54 written reviews, covering 3069 days.
RELEASE CADENCE
0 updates in 90 days
  • Typical gap between releases16 days
From the last 25 versions listed on the App Store.
RATING BREAKDOWN
121 ratings
5★70%
4★13%
3★4%
2★3%
1★9%

What users want

From the latest 54 reviews on the United States App Store, May 31, 2018 to Oct 12, 2026: 13% are 1 or 2 stars. Open a theme to read what people wrote.

WHAT THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT · SHARE OF BAD REVIEWS
Price and subscription29%

2 of the 1 and 2 star reviews.

★★★★★ Dark Mode is an Accessibility feature, and shouldn't be behind a paywall, having it stay like that is a huge slap in the face to night owls and the visually impaired.
★★★★★ I want my money back and defiantly deleting it.
WHAT THEY ASK FOR
  • however, I hope the developer would add the function to sort articles by pulling it. 5★, Dec 7, 2022
  • PLEASE give us the option to italicize and bold text!! 5★, Jul 15, 2022
  • The only thing you can do on the free version is add a title and a subtitle to a story! 1★, Apr 20, 2022
  • I do ask for one thing if possible...next time, can you please try to add a side menu to see all the stories and articles listed? 5★, Oct 9, 2020
  • I wish I could give it no stars! 1★, Mar 28, 2019
WORDS THAT KEEP COMING UP IN BAD REVIEWS

Nothing stands out.

WHAT THEY LOVE · SHARE OF GOOD REVIEWS
Looks great43%

18 of the 4 and 5 star reviews.

★★★★★ PenCake is ultimately noise-free, in every sense of the way, clean and efficient, with a stress-free, writing-focused environment.
★★★★★ So simple, aesthetic, clean, multi optional, minimalist☁️✒️
★★★★★ I love how minimal yet functional this app is. It's super easy to navigate through different notes with a swipe left or right and is very pleasant to use. It also syncs to the cloud (manually in the free version and…
Easy to use40%

17 of the 4 and 5 star reviews.

★★★★★ If you want a simple, effective, and quiet place to write about your day and most personal experiences without getting distracted by complex features and ads, PenCake is definitely worth downloading.
★★★★★ So simple, aesthetic, clean, multi optional, minimalist☁️✒️
★★★★★ It's super easy to navigate through different notes with a swipe left or right and is very pleasant to use.
Worth the money12%

5 of the 4 and 5 star reviews.

★★★★★ It's perfectly worry-free with no instructions when or how to write.
★★★★★ It also syncs to the cloud (manually in the free version and automatically in the paid version).
★★★★★ Overall I think for a completely free app it's totally worth it
Fun, addictive5%

2 of the 4 and 5 star reviews.

★★★★★ But I enjoy this app even though it does pain me to write sometimes.

Found by matching words and phrases in the reviews, not read by a person. A review can count toward more than one theme.

What users say

Latest reviews, United States App Store.

★★★★★Oct 12, 2026
悲

很好用,就是完整版要钱

★★★★★Aug 17, 2026
great

It’s a very good app,but I hope that a cover image can be added for each novel, and that novel covers can be displayed on the desktop/home screen so they can be clicked to enter.Thanks!

★★★★★Jul 30, 2026
Why you should get this writing app (detailed review and suggestions for newcomers)

Ok so I’ve had PenCake for a couple days now and I’m super happy to say that I’m not disappointed. It’s exactly what I hoped for. The layout is calm and peaceful, without so many confusing buttons to press or random pop-ups. It’s perfectly worry-free with no instructions when or how to write. No notifications. No demanding mood board, writing streak, or a sudden notification that your free trial has ended and now you have to pay for features that you thought were free. It’s true that there is a premium version and a free version, but as someone who got the app for journaling only, the few limitations that come with the free version doesn’t irritate me at all. This is the ultimate writing app for when you want to dump your thoughts without all the nonsense and noise. I don’t use the photo features or “story” option, as, again, I use it for entries only, but if these are features you are specifically hunting for, I wouldn’t recommend PenCake, especially if you want an app that will track your writing and give you prompts. I don’t like instructions when I write, which is why PenCake fitted so well with me. Another thing is the fact PenCake has no accounts or anything that could link with your Facebook or something. This is something I like, but if this app is accidentally deleted, it should be noted that it cannot be retrieved once you reinstall the app. The best way to prevent losing your work without syncing is to have your writing pasted on a separate document. I keep my writing on PenCake saved on a Google Docs, ensuring I have a backup. This is especially helpful if you don’t feel like syncing and don’t want your work accidentally lost. PenCake is ultimately noise-free, in every sense of the way, clean and efficient, with a stress-free, writing-focused environment. The word pasting also seems limitless and can handle it without glitches. If you want a simple, effective, and quiet place to write about your day and most personal experiences without getting distracted by complex features and ads, PenCake is definitely worth downloading.

★★★★★Jun 2, 2026
Love this!!

I've been used this for over 1 year, love most the option to send text as images ><

★★★★★Dec 20, 2025
Love it!!! Very good!

So simple, aesthetic, clean, multi optional, minimalist☁️✒️

★★★★★Aug 17, 2025
Super Aesthetic and Minimal

I love how minimal yet functional this app is. It’s super easy to navigate through different notes with a swipe left or right and is very pleasant to use. It also syncs to the cloud (manually in the free version and automatically in the paid version). My old phone was low on space and glitching so the app crashed (my fault for overloading my phone), but after deleting some apps I restarted the PenCake and it saved all my files! Thank you, PenCake!! Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see that both android and iOS apps are pretty much exactly the same. 👍 This is definitely my new favorite writing app. The free version is great but I will be upgrading to premium because they offer a one time payment for a lifetime license. ❤️ P.S. I would love an option to sort notes manually without having to edit all the dates. 🙏

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Store screenshots

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App Store ads

Apple Search Ads this app ran in the last 90 days, from Apple's public ad repository.

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Growth research

Where this app is buying and earning its users. Each link opens pre filtered.

ASO keywords

Most repeated terms in the listing. Highlighted ones also appear in the title.

pencake11writing11helps focus3pencake desktop3focus3words3desktop3space2thoughts2helps2whether2story2writers2write2peace2clean2interface2smooth2beautiful2real2yet2fonts2themes2sync2

What's new in 3.17

■ More fonts and themes · Many new fonts have been added. · You can now filter fonts by category to find the one you want. · 23 new themes have been added. ■ Indentation and font size · You can now adjust the first-line indent width in two levels. · A smaller and a larger font size have been added. ■ Safer sync · When setting up sync, a new step confirms the sync direction so you don't accidentally lose your writing. ■ New languages · French and Indonesian have been added. ■ Other improvements · Fixed a crash when exporting an image after a search. · Fixed an issue where indentation was not applied when opening an entry after a search. · Fixed a freeze on iOS 12.

Released May 24, 2018. Current version shipped Jul 16, 2026.

Store description

A beautifully minimal space for your thoughts. Pencake helps you focus on your words—whether you’re writing a journal, a story, or something just for yourself. Since 2018, more than 2.3 million writers have chosen Pencake as their space to write in peace. Its clean, distraction-free interface helps you focus entirely on your words. No clutter, no noise—just you and your story. With elegant typography and smooth spacing, writing on Pencake feels as natural and beautiful as writing in a real book. Minimalist, yet powerful - Clean and aesthetically refined interface - Designed to enhance focus and creativity - Beautiful fonts and themes that suit your mood Writing made effortless - Start writing instantly with an intuitive experience - Enjoy smooth performance even with long-form writing - Stay organized with “Stories” that group related entries Write anywhere, anytime - Sync your work seamlessly across all your devices - Continue writing wherever inspiration strikes Safe and secure writing - Auto-save, version history, and trash recovery - Face ID / Touch ID protection Built for real writers - Supports Markdown for flexible formatting - Word and character count, image insertion, and preview mode - Ideal for all kinds of writing—journaling, blogging, novel writing, and fanfiction Whether you're an aspiring writer or just someone who loves writing in peace, Pencake offers a simple yet inspiring place to put your thoughts into words. * Some features such as auto-sync, desktop access, themes, and advanced fonts are available through Premium. --- - Official website: https://pencake.app/ - Desktop app: https://pencake.app/download/desktop/ - FAQs: https://pencake.app/faq/ - Format text: https://pencake.app/guide/markdown/ - Email: pencake.app@gmail.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pencakeapp - X (Twitter): https://x.com/pencakeapp Please help translate into your language. https://crowdin.com/project/pencake Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pencake.app/privacy/

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