Draw on any screen.
Choose between a monthly subscription and a lifetime license.
Annotate directly on PPT, PDF, and web pages. Available on Windows and macOS.
$3.99 per month or $24.99 lifetime with one payment.
Basic annotation is free. Teaching tools are Pro.
The free version has no time limits, watermarks, or usage limits.
Pen · Highlighter · Eraser · Line · Arrow
Thickness, basic colors and the color picker, undo and redo, and click-through are free in Basic.
Whiteboard · Blackboard Pro
Turn the entire screen into a whiteboard or blackboard with one click and focus on the lesson.
Click-through
Control the app underneath while your annotations stay visible. Return anytime with the global Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut.
Fade Ink Pro
Your strokes gently disappear after the time you set. Annotation keeps flowing without ever reaching for the eraser.
Ghost Mode Pro
Click-through only while you hold a key: advance one slide during annotation, then return instantly.
Quick Save Pro
Save a screen+annotation composite screenshot to a preset folder without prompts. Your class records build up automatically.
Rectangle · Ellipse · Text · Opacity Pro
Rectangles, ellipses, text creation and re-editing, opacity control, and rainbow mode are available in Pro.
Fade Ink
Highlight briefly, then let annotations fade so you spend less time clearing the screen.
Ghost Mode
Click the app underneath only while holding a key, then return to annotation as soon as you let go.
Quick Save
Save combined screen-and-annotation records to a preset folder without choosing a location each time.
Teaching features missing from free tools, plus a lifetime option missing from subscription-only products
TeachPen Basic is free with no sign-up required, and Pro is available as either a monthly subscription or a lifetime license.
| Features | TeachPen | Subscription annotation tools | General free tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $3.99/month or $24.99 once | Billed every year (subscription only) | Free |
| Account sign-up | Not required | Sign-up required even to try | Not required |
| Classroom use of the free version | ✓ Allowed | Pro required, depending on the product | ✓ |
| Fade Ink · Ghost Mode | ✓ Pro | ✓ Pro (only while subscribed) | - |
| Classroom annotation toolbar | ✓ | ✓ | Hotkey-centric · limited |
| Interface languages | 19 languages | English-centric | English-centric |
| If you stop paying? | Monthly stays active through the paid period; lifetime remains yours | Pro access ends when the paid period ends | - |
This comparison reflects common product types as of July 2026; individual products may have different policies.
Basic is free. Pro is monthly or lifetime.
Start with free basic annotation, then choose Pro when you need teaching tools.
- Pen · Highlighter · Eraser · Line · Arrow
- Basic colors · Color picker · Thickness
- Undo and redo · Click-through
- PNG Save · Choose a location every time
- Free v1.x updates
- Pro Features
- All Pro features and updates
- Renews monthly, cancel anytime
- Pro stays active through the paid period after cancellation
- Then automatically switches to Basic
- No password sign-up. Two active devices.
- 14-day refund guarantee on the first monthly payment
About 6 months of the monthly plan. From month 7, lifetime costs less.
- Rectangle · Ellipse · Text creation and re-editing · Opacity · Rainbow
- Whiteboard and blackboard · Cursor highlight · Saved custom colors
- Fade ink · Ghost mode · Spotlight
- Custom Shortcuts · Object Move · Text Re-editing
- Quick Save · copy to clipboard · composite screenshots
- Free lifetime updates throughout v1.x
- No password sign-up. Two active devices. 14-day refund guarantee.
Monthly subscriptions and lifetime licenses include the same features and differ only in payment method and usage period.
Free vs Pro
Start with free basic annotation, then choose Pro when you need teaching tools.
| Features | Basic | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Pen · Highlighter · Eraser · Line · Arrow | ✓ | ✓ |
| Thickness · Basic colors · Color picker · Undo/redo · Click-through | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rectangle · Ellipse · Text creation and re-editing · Opacity · Rainbow | - | ✓ |
| Whiteboard / blackboard | - | ✓ |
| Cursor highlight · Saved custom colors | - | ✓ |
| PNG Save | Choose a location every time | Composite · auto-save · copy to clipboard |
| Fade Ink (annotations disappear automatically) | - | ✓ |
| Ghost Mode (hold a key for click-through) | - | ✓ |
| Spotlight (focus light around the cursor) | - | ✓ |
| Custom Shortcuts | Default Shortcuts | Fully customizable |
| Object move (Ctrl+drag) · Text re-editing | - | ✓ |
| Per-tool Thickness Presets | - | ✓ (planned) |
Rolling it out to a whole classroom?
Institutions can use volume licensing through annual per-seat quotes.
Edu Annual
Annual per-seat quotes tailored to the number of seats required.
Quotes · Tax Invoices
We support the documents required for institutional purchases. Request them by email.
Contact us
Quotes · Tax Invoices
We support the documents required for institutional purchases. Request them by email.
Send us your organization name and seat count. We will reply by email with a quote and rollout steps.
Every time I needed to draw on the screen mid-lesson, the tools I had fell a little short. With annotation on, I couldn't advance the slide underneath; reaching for the eraser broke my flow; and the features I actually needed sat behind a subscription.
So I built the tool I wanted in class. Ghost Mode and Fade Ink came straight out of those frustrations. And rather than force one way to pay, I offer both a monthly subscription and a lifetime license.
Built by CodeCohort · hello@teachpen.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscriptions feel like too much?
Choose Pro Monthly or Pro Lifetime. If you do not want a monthly payment, buy the lifetime license once.
Do I need to create an account?
Install and use the free version right away. For Pro, your purchase email is your license. Activate in the app with your email and a 6-digit code. No username, password, or profile is needed.
How many PCs can I use it on?
A personal license can be active on two devices across Windows and macOS. Activating a third device automatically deactivates the least recently used device. Pro works offline after activation.
Does it work on classroom PCs without internet?
Internet is required only once during activation. Daily use works completely offline after that.
How is it different from other annotation tools?
Subscription-based annotation tools often require recurring payments and account registration even for a free trial. TeachPen Basic is free with no sign-up required, while Pro is available as either a monthly subscription or a lifetime license. It also includes teaching features such as fade ink and ghost mode.
Can I use it on a Mac?
Yes. macOS 13 or later (Apple Silicon) is available to download right now. The Windows version (10 1809 or later, 64-bit) is being prepared for release; sign up on the download page and we'll write once, on the day it ships.
What is the refund policy?
The first monthly payment and a lifetime purchase are fully refundable within 14 days. Monthly renewal payments are non-refundable. hello@teachpen.com
What happens to my lifetime license if the service shuts down?
If we ever shut down the service, we will distribute an offline build that works permanently without the activation server. That promise is written in the terms.
Start free today
Install with no signup, then upgrade to Pro only when you need it.
Free DownloadUse it right after installation. No signup, no email verification.