# Bright Lights (Ape Apps) vs Beads Creator

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Beads Creator at 1.5K against Bright Lights (Ape Apps)'s 19. Beads Creator also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). Bright Lights (Ape Apps)'s advantage is review sentiment (83% vs 74%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bright Lights (Ape Apps) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Beads Creator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Bright Lights (Ape Apps) against 4.5 for Beads Creator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beads Creator has 1.5K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Bright Lights (Ape Apps)'s written reviews are positive against 74% of Beads Creator's.

Bright Lights (Ape Apps) ships an update every 9 months, Beads Creator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bright Lights (Ape Apps) | Beads Creator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bright-lights-ape-apps/id1034525841/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beads-creator-bead-patterns/id1235585928/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 74.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) |

## What reviewers say

### Bright Lights (Ape Apps)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bright-lights-ape-apps/id1034525841)

This app lets you create colorful dot art inspired by a classic toy. Choose from various colors to draw pictures, save them to a gallery, and share with others. It's a fun, nostalgic drawing experience for all ages.

**Highlights:** Draw with colored dots, Save pictures to gallery, Share creations, Nostalgic gameplay, Suitable for all ages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advertising Removal | $1.99 | one-time |


### Beads Creator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beads-creator-bead-patterns/id1235585928)

Design custom fuse bead and Perler bead patterns with an intuitive pixel art editor. Import images to create patterns or use the bead list to track colors and quantities. Supports multiple bead brands and sizes.

**Highlights:** Pixel art style editing, Create patterns from images, Supports multiple bead brands, Bead list for color and quantity tracking, Cross-stitch pattern design, Supports 6 bead types

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for creating bead designs
- 🎨 Variety of colors and bead types
- 🔍 Useful for visualizing patterns

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and loses progress
- 🔍 Limited grid sizes and shapes
- 🎨 Lacking some common bead colors
- 📱 Orientation constraints on iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to delete saved patterns
- Inconsistent behavior when adding beads

**Requested features**

- Copy/paste design elements
- Larger and custom grid sizes
- Import image to convert to pattern
- Fused bead view for final look
- Ability to edit bead colors


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bright Lights (Ape Apps) free?

Bright Lights (Ape Apps) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beads Creator free?

Beads Creator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Bright Lights (Ape Apps) or Beads Creator?

Beads Creator is rated higher. Bright Lights (Ape Apps) averages 4.4 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Beads Creator averages 4.5 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Bright Lights (Ape Apps) or Beads Creator have ads?

Both Bright Lights (Ape Apps) and Beads Creator show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Bright Lights (Ape Apps) or Beads Creator?

Bright Lights (Ape Apps) ships an update every 9 months, and Beads Creator every 2 months. Most recently, Bright Lights (Ape Apps) was updated on October 24, 2026 and Beads Creator on October 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*