# Paintstorm Studio vs Zen Brush 3

The clearest difference is price: Zen Brush 3 at $4.99 against Paintstorm Studio's $12.99. Zen Brush 3 also leads on chart position (#83 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). Paintstorm Studio's advantage is ratings volume (381 vs 58). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Paintstorm Studio costs $12.99 and Zen Brush 3 $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Paintstorm Studio against 4.4 for Zen Brush 3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paintstorm Studio has 381 ratings behind it against 58, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 60% and 60% positive.

Paintstorm Studio ships an update every 4 months, Zen Brush 3 every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paintstorm Studio | Zen Brush 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | [4.4 (381 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio/id1077984099/reviews) | **[4.4 (58 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-brush-3/id1531841731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **381** | 58 |
| Positive reviews | **59.9% of reviews** | 59.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#83** |
| Size | 103 MB | 226 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sergei Komarov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1060632106) | [PSOFT](https://appshunter.io/developer/373752450) |

## What reviewers say

### Paintstorm Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintstorm-studio/id1077984099)

This app offers a professional digital painting experience on iOS devices, leveraging Apple Pencil for advanced control. It provides a vast array of customizable brushes, stroke correction, and intuitive tools for artists of all levels to create masterpieces on the go.

**Highlights:** Advanced brush customization, Stroke post-correction, Perspective-aware parameters, Dynamic and custom interface, Mask brush functionality, Photoshop PSD and ABR support, Apple Pencil integration

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful desktop-class features
- 🎨 Excellent brush engine and blending
- 📚 Highly customizable interface
- 💻 Seamless desktop-to-iPad experience
- 🖌️ Realistic painting simulation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI
- 🔋 Performance and memory issues
- 🔒 Lack of cloud/online integration
- 📁 Limited file management and export options

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup or when using certain tools
- Brush lag and performance issues with large canvases
- Unreliable autosave and file management
- Unresponsive or glitchy UI elements
- Incompatibility with older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Improved brush customization and management
- Seamless canvas rotation and zooming
- Expanded layer and selection tools
- Better text and typography support
- Integrated cloud/online sync and sharing


### Zen Brush 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-brush-3/id1531841731)

**Currently charting:** #83 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app allows users to create beautiful East Asian ink art, including calligraphy and painting. It simulates an ink brush with adjustable water and color features, offering a rich expressive range for both beginners and experienced artists. Easily share and edit your creations with various export options and background templates.

**Highlights:** Simulated 3D ink brush drawing, Adjustable water and color effects, Layer functionality for flexible editing, Import photos for tracing or backgrounds, Rich background and paper templates, Export to JPEG, PNG, and transparent PNG

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic brush simulation and ink blending
- 💧 Innovative water simulation and wet ink effects
- 🎯 Natural brush stroke behavior and responsiveness
- 🌈 Color palette addition in version 3
- 📄 Multiple paper textures and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Significant downgrade from version 2 in brush feel
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain and device heating
- ❌ Limited undo functionality (only 5 levels)
- 🎨 Mushy brush strokes at default resolution

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when setting maximum resolution
- Crashes when adding layers or importing images
- Crashes during high-resolution JPEG export
- iPad Pro M2 overheating and battery drain
- Apple Pencil input not recognized

**Requested features**

- Canvas rotation with two-finger gestures
- Increased undo/redo levels (more than 5)
- Grid or guide line display for practice
- Custom color wheel/palette picker
- Instant erase without animations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paintstorm Studio free?

Paintstorm Studio costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Zen Brush 3 free?

Zen Brush 3 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Paintstorm Studio or Zen Brush 3?

Zen Brush 3 is rated higher. Paintstorm Studio averages 4.4 out of 5 from 381 ratings, while Zen Brush 3 averages 4.4 from 58 ratings.

### Do Paintstorm Studio or Zen Brush 3 have ads?

Neither Paintstorm Studio nor Zen Brush 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paintstorm Studio or Zen Brush 3?

Paintstorm Studio ships an update every 4 months, and Zen Brush 3 every 3 months. Most recently, Paintstorm Studio was updated on October 29, 2026 and Zen Brush 3 on October 29, 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.*