Comparison

Maximum Plaid vs PenFinger

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

Head to head
About

Maximum Plaid

Experience a mesmerizing 2D physics simulation with interactive shapes that resemble snowflakes. Watch as these objects interact, grab each other, and move across the screen in a dynamic and visually captivating display. Customize the simulation by choosing different shape types and removing them with simple button presses.

Highlights
  • 2D physics simulation
  • Interactive snowflake-like shapes
  • Growing and shrinking shapes
  • Shape interaction and grabbing
  • Customizable shape types
  • Shape removal functionality
Features
Read full description

You won't believe your eyes when you see the shapes flying around the screen! Look at first and you will see pretty shapes that look like snowflakes, and filled snowflakes, and growing and shrinking shapes. Look for a bit longer and you will see that the little snowflake objects are interacting with each other and their little pockets grab each other as they move across the screen in a beautiful physics simulation in two dimensions! You can choose snowflakes, filled snowflakes, simple snowflakes, resizing shapes and you can remove them from the screen, all by pressing the buttons on the screen. For maximum freak out take a look at "Maximum Plaid" and see all of the shapes interacting at the same time. It is soothing and freakish at the same time! Please enjoy!

About

PenFinger

Features
Read full description

PenFinger lets you draw on your phone using just your finger. By tracking your fingertip with the camera, PenFinger transforms real-world hand movement into 2D drawings directly on your screen. Move your finger in the air and watch your strokes appear. Close your hand into a fist to pause drawing. Features • Real-time fingertip tracking, including when the lower palm is outside the frame • Eight ink colors with a palette of colored circles • Separate strokes that retain their original colors • One-tap clearing that keeps your selected color • Photos with your drawing, automatically saved to Photos when permission allows • A photo preview with sharing and save confirmation • On-device camera processing Privacy First Camera tracking and photo composition happen on your device. The developer does not receive your photos or drawings. Photos permission is used only to add captured images to your library. Sharing happens when you choose an action in the share sheet. Who is it for? • Creators and artists • Students and educators • Anyone who wants to experiment with gesture-based drawing • Curious minds exploring new ways to interact with technology No sign-up. No ads. Just draw.

Screenshots

Maximum Plaid4 screens
PenFinger3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Maximum Plaid at every 4 weeks against PenFinger's every 5 months. Maximum Plaid also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.5). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Maximum Plaid ships an update every 4 weeks, PenFinger every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Maximum Plaid versus PenFinger: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMaximum PlaidPenFinger
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRobert L ZimmelmanEMIRHAN SIMSEK

In-app purchases

None

Maximum Plaid

No in-app purchases

None

PenFinger

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Maximum Plaid free?
Maximum Plaid is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PenFinger free?
PenFinger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Maximum Plaid or PenFinger have ads?
Neither Maximum Plaid nor PenFinger shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Maximum Plaid or PenFinger?
Maximum Plaid ships an update every 4 weeks, and PenFinger every 5 months. Most recently, Maximum Plaid was updated on October 24, 2026 and PenFinger on October 19, 2026.

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