# Paintwork vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Charcoal at none against Paintwork's 3. Charcoal also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 65%). Paintwork's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (17K vs 143). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paintwork sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Charcoal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Paintwork against 4.5 for Charcoal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paintwork has 17K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Paintwork's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Paintwork ships an update weekly, Charcoal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paintwork | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (17K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498/reviews)** | [4.5 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **17K** | 143 |
| Positive reviews | 65.4% of reviews | **76.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 200 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [伟典 苏](https://appshunter.io/developer/1024628394) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Paintwork

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintwork-infinite-notebook/id1052957498)

Create handwritten notes, diaries, and drawings with a vast array of tools. Features include customizable brushes, vector graphics, a rich color palette, and image import. Export your creations as PDFs or images.

**Highlights:** Customizable brushes and erasers, Extensive vector graphics tools, Rich color palette, Image and material import, Handwriting assistance, PDF and image export, Customizable backgrounds and canvas

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription premium | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription premium | $3.99 | per year |
| Unlock local version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Vast selection of brushes and tools
- 💻 Works well on various devices
- 🎨 Allows for creative expression
- 💰 Free to use with no paywall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Certain features locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches causing crashes or data loss
- 🎨 Limited color palette and blending options
- 🔍 Lack of intuitive UI and tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- App freezing or crashing when using certain features
- Artwork getting deleted or not saving properly
- Inability to import or work with external images

**Requested features**

- Add more color options and blending tools
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Provide more tutorials and onboarding for new users
- Allow users to save and access their artwork easily


### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paintwork free?

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

### Is Charcoal free?

Charcoal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Paintwork or Charcoal?

Paintwork is rated higher. Paintwork averages 4.6 out of 5 from 17K ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 143 ratings.

### Do Paintwork or Charcoal have ads?

Neither Paintwork nor Charcoal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paintwork or Charcoal?

Paintwork ships an update weekly, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Paintwork was updated on September 23, 2026 and Charcoal on September 8, 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.*