# Pastello vs Topaz for Mobile

Pastello and Topaz for Mobile both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 79% of Pastello's written reviews are positive against 22% of Topaz for Mobile's. Pastello also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). Topaz for Mobile's advantage is price (Free vs $29.99) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Topaz for Mobile is free to download; Pastello costs $29.99 up front. Topaz for Mobile sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Pastello asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pastello holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Topaz for Mobile has 2.2K ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Pastello's written reviews are positive against 22% of Topaz for Mobile's.

Pastello ships an update every 3 months, Topaz for Mobile weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pastello | Topaz for Mobile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $29.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastello/id1074343686/reviews)** | [4.6 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topaz-for-mobile/id6503354018/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 44 | **2.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 21.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 123 MB | 151 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JixiPix, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/380605671) | [Topaz Labs, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/926515608) |

## What reviewers say

### Pastello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastello/id1074343686)

Transform your photos into stunning dry media art, mimicking styles like pastel, charcoal, and colored pencil. This app offers a professional workflow with customizable layers and one-click presets for creating expressive, traditional-looking artwork.

**Highlights:** Photo to Pastel, Chalk, Charcoal, Crayon conversion, Layering of different dry media, Customizable stroke direction, size, and volume, One-click presets with customization options, Traditional sketch styles and DaVinci effect, Professional workflow for artists and photographers

**In-app purchases:** none


### Topaz for Mobile

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topaz-for-mobile/id6503354018)

Restore old photos, fix blurry images, and enhance overall photo quality using advanced AI. This app can unblur, upscale, and repair images, making low-resolution pictures crystal-clear and bringing new life to cherished memories.

**Highlights:** Fix blurry photos instantly, Restore and repair old photos, Upscale images by 4x without losing detail, Enhance faces with AI, Refine AI art and digital creations, Multiple AI enhancement modes

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard Weekly (Free Trial) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 80 | $9.99 | per month |
| Image Personal Monthly | $12.00 | per month |
| Standard Plan (Monthly) | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (Weekly) | $17.99 | per 7 days |
| Image Pro Monthly | $35.00 | per month |
| 400 | $39.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan (Monthly) | $49.99 | per month |
| Standard Plan (Annual) | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium Plan (Annual) | $479.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent at restoring old photos
- 👍 Great for enhancing images
- 🚀 Impressive cloud processing capabilities
- 💡 Useful for astrophotography
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 💰 Expensive credits system
- 🔒 Login and account issues
- 🔍 Unclear how to access full features
- 🚧 Limited functionality compared to desktop version

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to log in or create an account
- Inconsistent image quality results
- Crashes when trying to access certain features
- Fails to apply enhancements properly

**Requested features**

- Add iPad support
- Provide more control over enhancement settings
- Allow purchasing credits directly in the app
- Integrate with cloud storage services
- Add metadata preservation for edited images


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pastello free?

Pastello costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Topaz for Mobile free?

Topaz for Mobile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pastello or Topaz for Mobile?

Pastello is rated higher. Pastello averages 4.8 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Topaz for Mobile averages 4.6 from 2.2K ratings.

### Do Pastello or Topaz for Mobile have ads?

Neither Pastello nor Topaz for Mobile shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pastello or Topaz for Mobile?

Pastello ships an update every 3 months, and Topaz for Mobile weekly. Most recently, Pastello was updated on November 2, 2026 and Topaz for Mobile on November 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.*