# JCross Nonogram vs The Magic Brush

The clearest difference is update cadence: JCross Nonogram at weekly against The Magic Brush's every 5 weeks. JCross Nonogram also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 71%). The Magic Brush's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. JCross Nonogram sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and The Magic Brush sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for JCross Nonogram against 4.6 for The Magic Brush. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 78 and 119 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of JCross Nonogram's written reviews are positive against 71% of The Magic Brush's.

JCross Nonogram ships an update weekly, The Magic Brush every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | JCross Nonogram | The Magic Brush |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jcross-nonogram/id1013587052/reviews)** | [4.6 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-magic-brush-nonogram/id1238037830/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 78 | **119** |
| Positive reviews | **81.6% of reviews** | 71.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 39 MB | 95 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amir Kadyrov](https://appshunter.io/developer/945326562) | [The JoyPlus Soft, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1238037829) |

## What reviewers say

### JCross Nonogram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jcross-nonogram/id1013587052)

Solve logic puzzles where numbers guide you to fill in cells and reveal a hidden picture. Offers thousands of puzzles in various sizes with helpful tools like zoom and undo.

**Highlights:** Thousands of free puzzles, Multiple grid sizes, Zoom mode for large puzzles, Undo option, Light and dark themes, Portrait and landscape support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Turn off ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| XSmall puzzle solution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small puzzle solution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium puzzle solution | $0.99 | one-time |
| Large puzzle solution | $0.99 | one-time |
| XLarge puzzle solution | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Massive puzzle collection with thousands of nonograms
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎯 Wide variety of difficulty levels from easy to extremely hard
- 📏 Multiple puzzle dimensions (10x10 up to 100x100)
- 🎨 Simple, clean design without unnecessary clutter

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain
- 📱 Display issues with newer iPhone notches covering puzzle numbers
- 🎮 Game area fills too much screen on some devices
- 🖱️ Control buttons too close to screen edges in landscape mode

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes and kicks users off mid-puzzle
- Crashes when selecting certain grid sizes
- Puzzle display obscured by notch on newer iPhones
- Control buttons unresponsive at screen edges
- Music continues playing after ads stop

**Requested features**

- Ruler or row/column tracker for larger boards
- Redo button for undoing undo actions
- Hint system showing completed picture
- Ad blocker in-app purchase functionality
- Fix for music playback during gameplay


### The Magic Brush

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-magic-brush-nonogram/id1238037830)

Engage your brain with over 5,000 custom logic puzzles. This pixel art game challenges you to deduce numbers and paint squares to reveal hidden pictograms. Enjoy a fun and addictive experience with various play modes and difficulty levels.

**Highlights:** Over 5,000 custom optimized levels, Hidden picture reveal, Brain training logic puzzles, Easy to learn gameplay, Multiple play modes, Create pixel art

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Hour Unlimited | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 Gold | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3 Golden Keys | $0.99 | one-time |
| One More Chance | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Day Unlimited | $4.99 | one-time |
| 510 Gold | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,130 Gold | $9.99 | one-time |
| 5 Day Unlimited | $11.99 | one-time |
| 2,400 Gold | $19.99 | one-time |
| 4,900 Gold | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JCross Nonogram free?

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

### Is The Magic Brush free?

The Magic Brush is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, JCross Nonogram or The Magic Brush?

JCross Nonogram is rated higher. JCross Nonogram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while The Magic Brush averages 4.6 from 119 ratings.

### Do JCross Nonogram or The Magic Brush have ads?

Both JCross Nonogram and The Magic Brush show ads.

### Which is updated more often, JCross Nonogram or The Magic Brush?

JCross Nonogram ships an update weekly, and The Magic Brush every 5 weeks. Most recently, JCross Nonogram was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Magic Brush on November 1, 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.*