Comparison

Paintwork vs Cortex Lantern

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Paintwork

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
Read full description

Paintwork is a simple and powerful software for handwritten notebooks, diaries, and hand drawn images. It includes functions such as: brush list (hundreds of brush effects, customizable brush thickness, color, transparency, dynamic strength weights, etc.), eraser list (each brush effect can be used as an eraser), Vector graphics tools (including lasso, vector eraser, vector pen, annotation pen, highlighter, wavy pen, double line pen, text box, illustration, dashed line, horizontal and vertical dashed line, curve, closed shape, text pen, rectangle, ellipse, straight line, arrow, triangle, pentagram, polygon, etc.), and also include many related attribute settings, Color list (with a rich color palette and customizable manual configuration of commonly used colors), copy and cut the content of specified areas on the page, import images or materials, as well as a simple calculator, handwriting assistance, and photo scanning of document files. Unlimited writing, ruler, recognition of text, printing of text, filling, and the ability to export PDF files or images. Supports custom background functionality, custom canvas paper, and more. It can be used to write for classroom or book learning notes, handwritten notes for work meetings, hand drawn mind maps, hand drawn account creation, hand made account book making, writing diaries, recording life thoughts, calligraphy practice, handwritten brush and pencil characters, hand drawn artistic characters, and so on. Supports Apple pencil. Can export images or PDFs. If you have any comments or feedback, please feel free to contact us. Contact email: pw_team@163.com If you like our application, please give us a good review. Thank you.

About

Cortex Lantern

Features
Read full description

Cortex Lantern is a brain training app and focus timer designed to help you rebuild your attention span and build deep work habits — with a glowing cortex visual that responds to your session in real time. REAL-TIME BRAIN VISUALISATION Start a focus sprint and watch your cortex “light up” as you work. The live brain animation keeps you engaged and present — so focus feels like training, not willpower. TRAIN 5 COGNITIVE PATHWAYS (NEUROSCIENCE-GROUNDED FRAMEWORK) Choose the Pathway that matches what you’re doing right now: • Deep Work — Prefrontal cortex (focus & control) • Creative — Default mode network (ideas & connections) • Learning — Hippocampus (memory & new skills) • Problem-Solving — Frontal-parietal network (logic & decisions) • Communication — Language hubs (expression & understanding) YOUR ATTENTION SPAN SCOREBOARD See focus time, Glow Points, streaks, and progress at a glance — so you always know you’re improving. STREAKS, REWARDS + VISUAL UNLOCKS Turn consistency into momentum: • Daily and weekly streaks • Session history and progress tracking • Achievements and level-ups • Visual unlocks that reward practice SHARE YOUR STREAK Export a premium share card to celebrate wins and make progress visible. FREE VS PRO Start free with core brain training and Deep Work. Upgrade to Pro to unlock all pathways, richer insights, more visual unlocks, and deeper progress tracking. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. You can manage and cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. PERFECT FOR • Founders and knowledge workers • Creators and writers • Students and lifelong learners • Anyone rebuilding their attention span and wanting something premium — built for focus. PRIVACY-FIRST Cortex Lantern is not a medical device. It is a visual focus training experience designed to support better habits. Your sessions and stats stay private to you. Privacy Policy: https://cortexlantern.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Built in England by creator and founder Sisi N — made for anyone tired of tab-hopping, notifications, and “one more scroll”.

Screenshots

Paintwork4 screens
Cortex Lantern4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cortex Lantern at daily against Paintwork's weekly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Paintwork sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cortex Lantern sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paintwork ships an update weekly, Cortex Lantern daily. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Paintwork versus Cortex Lantern: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaintworkCortex Lantern
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (17K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings17K — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer伟典 苏The UGC Playbook LTD

Bugs and requests

Paintwork

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

Cortex Lantern

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Paintwork

One-time1
  • Unlock local version$9.99
2 purchases

Cortex Lantern

Subscriptions2
  • Cortex Lantern Pro$5.991 Month
  • Cortex Lantern Pro Annual$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Paintwork free?
Paintwork is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cortex Lantern free?
Cortex Lantern is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Paintwork or Cortex Lantern have ads?
Neither Paintwork nor Cortex Lantern shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paintwork or Cortex Lantern?
Paintwork ships an update weekly, and Cortex Lantern daily. Most recently, Paintwork was updated on November 2, 2026 and Cortex Lantern on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons