# Paintstorm Studio — user reviews

> 178 indexed App Store user reviews of Paintstorm Studio by Sergei Komarov, rated 4.40/5 from 368 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio/id1077984099/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio/id1077984099.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 266 · 4★ 44 · 3★ 16 · 2★ 15 · 1★ 27

## What do users think of Paintstorm Studio?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Powerful desktop-class features
- 🎨 Excellent brush engine and blending
- 📚 Highly customizable interface
- 💻 Seamless desktop-to-iPad experience
- 🖌️ Realistic painting simulation

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI
- 🔋 Performance and memory issues
- 🔒 Lack of cloud/online integration
- 📁 Limited file management and export options

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup or when using certain tools
- Brush lag and performance issues with large canvases
- Unreliable autosave and file management
- Unresponsive or glitchy UI elements
- Incompatibility with older iPad models

**Most requested features**

- Improved brush customization and management
- Seamless canvas rotation and zooming
- Expanded layer and selection tools
- Better text and typography support
- Integrated cloud/online sync and sharing

## Newest reviews (13 of 178)

### 4/5 — Great hindered by overly complicated UI

*2023-09-17, version 2.50*

If the UI were cleaned up, this would awesome.

### 2/5 — Macchinosa e instabile

*2023-07-03*

Una specie di Photoshop da desktop riadattato per il tablet il costo è troppo elevato per ciò che offre specialmente se si pensa che ci sono app gratuite che funzionano meglio, spesso in fatti l’app crasha , si possono fare cose carine ma è poco intuitiva e scomoda

### 4/5 — The Reference Window But Canvas Texture is Awesome

*2023-04-09*

I do love this program. It’s got great painterly brushes that most of us really want without the big prices like Corel Painter. It’s pretty budget friendly. Granted it being cheaper it does have some bugs and the interface is a bit odd. The Reference Window bugs me so much though. I guess you could technically have the photos app open on the side. You can’t import images directly into the sub window like in Clip Studio Paint, Ibis Paint X, and Procreate. I have tried almost all painting apps in my experiences of 12 years of art and 3D art. Most drawing apps in fact have that function of sub reference window image import. This one is just not ideal, you have to open a separate document and toggle it to the reference window, that’s my only issue. If they fixed that with direct image import into the reference window, but overall it is a good app. And it has canvas texture templates which most don’t have, which is a double plus.

### 3/5 — Demasiado “profesional” y un poco lento.

*2023-03-05*

El interfaz apabulla, creo que es más propio de una app para escritorio que para una tablet. No me he podido hacer con los menús y paneles, creo que deberían pensar en “aligerar” para futuras versiones. Porque aparte de toda la información que intimida (comparado con otras apps), resulta que a menudo los pinceles se ralentizan como en un dispositivo lento. Lo grave es que lo estoy haciendo correr en un iPad Pro de 14’’ y chip M2…

### 3/5 — Great app but slow and buggy

*2023-01-01, version 2.49*

At its core, I’m incredibly impressed. It is the most desktop-like app I’ve worked with outside of a traditional computer environment. I’m running this on a 2020 iPad Pro 12.9 and the larger screen is much needed for all that’s going on with the interface. The good: The paint simulation is as good as anything else out there, including ArtRage, in my opinion. The amount of customization that can be done with the interface is superb. A lot of companies could learn from this design. Creating new documents with canvas textures is a breeze and looks great. Customization of brushes is, again, staggeringly good. There’s almost nothing you can’t change to your liking. The bad: Forget about working at high resolution. The app cannot handle anything beyond mid-rez sizes. At high resolutions, the app slows down to be completely unusable. Even at mid-size resolutions, once the brush gets large, it lags to the point of being unworkable. The app crashes more than any other app I’ve worked with. The interface freezes sometimes and other times certain functions cease to work without a complete restart. Despite the amazingly detailed interface, there are a lot of things that are pretty clunky. Working with a reference image in a separate panel, for example, is so convoluted. I don’t know why I can’t just pull in an image from my photo library like ArtRage. There have been very few recent updates and none over the past few years have addressed the serious lag while using bigger brushes. That leads me to believe it will not be addressed in software. Maybe the M1 and M2 iPads are not having the slowdown problem. With all of these negatives, I still love the app. If the lag issues could be resolved, it would be almost perfect.
UPDATE: After using this app for a few weeks, I have decided to abandon it. While it has some amazing functionality, the crashes and bugs and sluggishness is way too anxiety-inducing.

### 4/5 — Attention: program crashes

*2022-12-21, version 2.49*

First, let me say that I love this app. The interface and number of options are unique and fun to use. The only complaint I have at the moment is the brush lag, where the brush stroke comes behind where the Apple Pencil is on the screen. If this is fixed, I will likely give a five star rating. I don’t think I have seen any updates for this app in a couple of years, at least. Which is a shame, because it is a great app.

### 4/5 — lag

*2022-04-02, version 2.48*

The speed the brush strokes get put on is not good. To much lag,but will still work with it anyway since this program runs my Bob Ross painting course.

### 5/5 — Excellent Application

*2022-01-10, version 2.48*

I’ve used paint storm for over a year now and I have to say that I love this software so much. I bought it twice once for the iPad and also for my iMac as I also have a Wacom Cintiq 16. I like the free bob ross brushes you can download.

### 2/5 — Amazing brushes, but be careful

*2021-12-23*

I’ve known this software for quite a while, and I loved the PC version, so as soon as I found out it is available for Ipad, I had no doubts and got it immediately. The brush variety and quality are truly fantastic, I’ve never really felt as comfortable with digital paintings as with this app.

That said, I cannot completely recommend it. It could have the potential to be a heavy duty painting app… but it certainly is not there yet. If you work with heavy files or tend to use around 8 or 9 layers to work on, there’s a chance you lose all your work on one of those layers after, in theory, saving the file properly, closing the app and then opening it up again and reloading the file. Just today, I was working on a piece that had six characters, each on a separate layer to play with composition later. When I reopened the file later, two of those layers had just the flats on them after hours of work rendering the characters. All backup files had the same problem too. In the end, if I want to use it for complex pictures, I have to merge everything and work in just one or two layers that I have to make sure to merge before saving and closing, as well as saving on a different file format just in case. I spoke to a few friends that had used it before, and two of them recalled having the same issue at some point.

So, even though I love it, I’m afraid I’ll have to stop using it until the saving system, or the layers or whatever could cause this problem gets fixed.

### 5/5 — Beste App für professionelle Digitale Illustrationen

*2021-12-08*

Die App bietet dermaßen viele Werkzeuge und Einstellungsmöglichkeiten, es ist fast schon zu viel. Es funktioniert alles einwandfrei, obwohl es auch sehr Leistungsintensiv ist.

### 5/5 — Awesome.

*2021-12-06, version 2.48*

I use this professionally for illustrations. Works great on ipad and desktop. Zero complaints. No regrets. Get it.

### 4/5 — Will it get any update?

*2021-12-02*

Will this app get any updates , not seen any updates from past 8 months. Is this app now abundant by the developer. There are many issues such as when brush size increased app become laggy and sometimes crash. This app is superb for its desktop like features but not for iOS 15 for now.

### 5/5 — Painterly

*2021-11-07, version 2.47*

Most painterly brushes out of the box and a really cool pallet love it

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Doesn't work well

*2025-08-01, version 2.50*

Zero stars . Doesn't work well with the new iPad Pro. The desktop is not stable. Your canvas move around on its own, and the system freezes, losing any work that you may have done. It's turning into being more trouble than it was worth. You may feel you are saving money, but how much is it worth to you to have to go back and fourth with redrawing. I guess you could draw a line and then save, then draw a line and then save.I'm sure Apple will not let me give no stars, but that's all it's worth.

### 1/5 — Безвозвратное удаление

*2024-05-19*

Разрабочики, у меня была проблема когда программ дико залагала и была проблескам с кистями и я создавала новую папку пустую, и вот сейчас я решила их удалить , удалила и смотрю а кистей не хватает 
Прошу верните мне все кисти как было в самом начале…
Если вернёте буду очень благодарна и поменяю оценку на 5 звёзд

### 1/5 — App ABR import error? No separation of importing reference images?

*2024-03-26, version 2.50*

There’s a couple of bugs, the recent update broke the brush import features and you can only use reference images if you open a separate document. Please fix this.

### 1/5 — Оптимизация и баги

*2024-02-21*

Несмотря на богатый функционал,программа не оптимизирована, кистями пользоваться невозможно, при наложении фильтров приложение зависает.Разработчик знает о проблеме и вместо того, чтобы как-то исправить ситуацию, добавляет кучу ненужных фич, которые тормозят и без того медленную прогу.Если захотите брать-берите только десктопную версию и только на мощный пк, предварительно потестив.

### 1/5 — Déçue

*2022-12-08*

Pas moyen de travailler sur cette appli, elle s’éteint tout le temps..
Je n’ai même pas le temps de la prendre en main. Vraiment dommage. Plus de promesses que de résultats.
Heureusement d’autres appli de créa et graphisme sont fiables.

Merci au développeur de faire le nécessaire. J’aurais bien aimé travailler avec.

### 1/5 — Глюк на глюке

*2022-02-08*

Отвратительная программа! Постоянно вылетает, автосохранение при этом не срабатывает и в результате теряешь почти готовые проекты. И при этом часто не работает сохранение файлов. Постоянно пишет что ей мало памяти. Хотя другие графические программы успешно работают без вылетов. И все это на iPad Pro.
Ах да, ещё подвисает все верхнее меню и срабатывает только после 3-5 нажарит.
Ужасно, просто ужасно!

### 1/5 — Não comprem

*2021-09-11*

Erros bugs e você perde varios projeto imagina vc fica horas  e do nada ele fecha perdendo tudo

### 1/5 — iPad Pro 2015

*2021-08-30, version 2.47*

It’s so slow and laggy on the higher mandala settings and brush settings, it’s way to complicated and the interface is far from simple. It’s all scattered about.

### 1/5 — Не понимаю я PaintStorm.

*2021-08-19*

Здравствуйте, работаю в прокриэйт, механика кистей в прокриэйт отличается от Пеинтшторм. Честно, искала я её как приложение где можно рисовать как в диджитал. Тут полностью непонятный в настройке интерфейс. Нет, как у фотошопа это ладно, но как настраивать чувствительность Apple Pencil - я не знаю, не понятно, откуда взялась дополнительная жесткость и на что она влияет. Нету скетчивых кистей и кистей по цифровой живописи, лайнер, в простонародии ink,работает как то странно: надо возить за собой непонятную нитку, которая оставляет за собой след. Обычных кистей как в фотошопе или САЙ нету. Есть только специфические, не похожие не на что кисти, которые гиперболизированно то слишком маленькие при нажатии, то слишком большие. Я не про размер кисти, а про нажатие на неё и изменение размера. Отцутствуют кисти стандартные и таких кистей как в фотошоп и сай вы не найдёте. Я лично, из-за того, что программа слишком отличается от SAI/Photoshop/Procreate/Artstudio pro не смогу в ней ничего нарисовать, так как ПейнтШторм поражает своей нестандартностью и непохожестью на другие приложения такого же типа. Ставлю 1 звезду из-за того, что зря потратила 1200 рублей на приложение, в котором ничего не смогу нарисовать, из-за того, что оно криво работает. Я поражена так же инструментом инк, при рисовании котором надо зачем то, вместо нормального курсора, рисовать какой то ниточкой. Разработчику я бы посоветовала ввести нормальную схему нажатия аппл пенсил и такую же настройку кривой как в прокриэйт, и ввести ряд кистей, или же режим при котором было бы похоже на выше перечисленные приложения. Прокриэйторам тут делать нечего.  А на счёт ряда кистей : диджитал стандартные кисти со стандартной механикой и стандартными курсорами(отпечатками) (стандартные как в СаИ фотошопе, И так далее, где есть просто круглая обычная кисть, более мягкие её варианты. Не надо изобретать велосипед, я уверена что можно и лучше.

### 1/5 — Не работает меню

*2021-08-18*

Не работает верхнее меню. Не горизонтально не вертикально не стилусом не пальцами. Вообще никак

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Please make it so that we can angle the camera with our fingers

*2025-10-22, version 2.50*

First time trying the app, haven’t messed with many of the tools that I’ve been given, but one thing in particular I’ve noticed is that I can’t angle the screen with my fingers, I have to do it with a scale. I’m an artist who angles the screen all the time. It’s just more comfortable for me. Love the app so far though.

### 5/5 — Pretty good!

*2025-01-11*

After waiting for time come back to the app the major issue I had got fixed, that issue was about importing scans into your canvas resulting in a sudden crash and closure of the app, now that is fixed I can migrate from CSP, I still have to get used to the user interface but that’s a minor thing, also after I get the chance I’m considering ti get the desktop version too.

### 5/5 — This is the best!

*2024-10-23, version 2.50*

this app has been arround for a few years now, and if you like creating art on the ipad, you have to use this. The brush engine makes the most wonderful oil brushes that blend so well. There is a Discord server to help you learn it. ♥️♥️♥️

### 5/5 — Soft Blender brush and I can see the brush shape

*2024-07-17, version 2.50*

I really like the Soft Blender brush because you can get a nice smooth blend between colors. Other painting app's blenders smear too much and/or add too much noise and jitter. Which is fine but the lack of any sort of very smooth blender is a glaring omission.

I also like that you can see the brush shape before you start painting. Other painting apps don’t have a brush shape at all, so you’re basically painting almost blind.

Those two little things mean a lot to me because they are a big help. 5 well deserved stars ⭐️

### 5/5 — Love it

*2023-07-27, version 2.50*

Paintstorm has a definite place in my production cycle as a professional creative and might be my “go to” for starting new projects. Serious artists, don’t skip this one.

### 5/5 — Отличное приложение Greate application for painting

*2023-06-22*

Отличное приложение для пряморуких! Автосохранение настроил каждые две минуты и не больше пяти файлов - отлично работает и ниразу за 5 лет не потерял ни одной работы. Я бы добавил трансформацию выделения и настройку краёв выделения. Еще не хватает ЭКСПОРТА настроек своих кистей! А в остальном - всё супер! На ArtStation куча художников, которые рисуют в этом приложении. Жду с нетерпением новых обновлений и новых фишек!
Great app for straight-handed people! I set up autosave every two minutes and no more than five files - it works great and has not lost a single job in 5 years. I would add a selection transform and a selection edge adjustment. Still missing the EXPORT settings of your brushes! And the rest - everything is super! There are a bunch of artists on ArtStation who draw with this app. Looking forward to new updates and new features!

### 5/5 — My favourite painting app

*2022-11-16, version 2.49*

This app has my favourite brush engine of all the digital paint apps that I’ve used - and I think I have just about used them all. I love the versatility of the opacity blend brushes in particular. They allow you to paint and blend at the same time. It’s not simulating real world paint mixing which frustrates the heck out of me instead it is digitally blending the colours. To get the same effect in Procreate you need to lay down your colours, switch to a blending brush and then blend, it’s so much quicker in PSS.
I keep playing with other digital painting apps when they come out with shiny new updates but I always seem to return to Paintstorm Studio when I want get some serious painting done.

### 5/5 — My go to ipad art program

*2022-11-04, version 2.49*

paintstorm is awesome, lightweight and worth trying even if you use procreate. i have both and i very much prefer paintstorm.

### 5/5 — Лучшая среди всех!

*2022-04-01, version 2.48*

Самая лучшая программа для рисования на айпаде, функционала намного больше чем у конкурентов и что самое главное есть возможность устанавливать горячие клавиши на клавиатуре, в других программах такого нет. С клавиатурой это полноценная замена пк для рисования.

### 5/5 — Daimond in the Rough

*2022-03-02, version 2.48*

This is a wonderful painting app. I use the desktop version and when it was announced Hangmoon had made a version for IPad I was so excited. This app works a lot like the desktop version. Update: Still been using this app for almost a year and still my go to for working on my IPad. Small issue I'm running into with recent updates is memory. I used to have no memory problems before using this app but recently it's lagging and slow due to using up my memory when I've only just started a new painting and no other apps open. I hope this can be fixed. Other than that this program is a gem! Keep up the awesome work.

Update: 03/01/22. Annoying bug I have run into is that the app is auto closing on me every time I try putting a reference image up.  It’s really annoying.  I then have to reopen everything and then once again the app just shuts down on me. Hope you can fix this.

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-15.*