Comparison

Swift Pixels vs Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art

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

Head to head
About

Swift Pixels

Create pixel art with a unique color palette and diverse rendering options. Save your creations as PNGs with transparency or high-resolution images to share. Import photos from your library or camera to use as a base for your designs.

Highlights
  • Unique color palette with universal categories
  • Render pixels as squares, 3D boxes, beads, towels, or hexels
  • Save images as PNG with transparency
  • High-resolution export and sharing
  • Import photos from library or camera
Features
Read full description

Simple and easy to use drawing application to create pixel art. Features: * Unique color palette based on universal color categories. Each color category expands a continuous gamut for that color. * Render pixels as simple squares, 3D boxes, beads, a towel, or as hexagons (hexels). * Save small images as PNG images with transparency (alpha/mask), or save them in hi-res and share them with the world :) * Load and import pictures from your Photo Library, or directly take a picture from your camera.

About

Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art

This app is a powerful yet user-friendly pixel art editor designed for artists and game developers. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating detailed pixel art, including support for layers, animations, and custom palettes. Seamlessly sync your work across devices and share your creations with a vibrant community.

Highlights
  • Layers for advanced editing
  • Frame-by-frame animation
  • MP4 video export with music
  • Google Drive sync
  • Customizable palettes
  • Cross-platform compatibility
Features
Read full description

Pixel Studio is a new pixel art editor for artists and game developers. Simple, fast and portable. No matter whether you are a beginner or a professional. Create amazing pixel art anywhere and anytime! We support layers and animations and have a ton of useful tools - all you need to create cool projects. Add music to your animations and export videos to MP4. Use Google Drive to sync your work between different devices and even platforms. Join Pixel Network™ - our new pixel art community! Don't doubt, just try it and make sure you've chosen the best pixel art tool ever! Over 2.000.000 downloads around the world, translated to 23 languages! Features: • It's super simple, intuitive and user friendly • It's cross-platform, use it on mobile and desktop with Google Drive sync • Use layers for advanced pixel art • Create frame-by-frame animations • Save animations to GIF or sprite sheets • Extend animations with music and export videos to MP4 • Share arts with friends and Pixel Network community • Create custom palettes, use built-in or download palettes from Lospec • Advanced color picker with RGBA and HSV modes • Simple zoom and move with gestures and joysticks • Use Portrait mode for mobile and Landscape for tablets and PC • Customizable toolbar and a lot of other settings • We support Apple Pencil! • We support all popular formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, PSP (Pixel Studio Project), ASE (Aseprite) • Autosave and backup - don't lose your work! • Discover a ton of other useful tools and features! More features: • Shape Tool for primitives • Gradient Tool • Built-in and custom brushes • Sprite Library for your image patterns • Tile Mode for brushes • Symmetry drawing (X, Y, X+Y) • Dot Pen for precise drawing with a cursor • Text Tool with different fonts • Dithering Pen for shadows and flares • Pixel art rotation with Fast RotSprite algorithm • Onion Skin for advanced animation • Apply palettes to images • Grab palettes from images • Mini-map and Pixel Perfect preview • Unlimited canvas size • Canvas resizing and rotation • Customizable background color • Customizable grid • Multithreaded image processing • JASC Palette (PAL) format support • Aseprite files support (import only) You can support us by purchasing PRO (it's one-time purchase): • No ads • Google Drive sync (cross-platform) • Dark Theme • 256-color palettes • Tile mode for making seamless textures • Extended max project size • Unlimited color adjustment (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) • Unlimited export to MP4 • Extended storage in Pixel Network System requirements: • 2GB+ of RAM for large projects and animations • Powerful CPU (AnTuTu score 100.000+) Sample images made by lorddkno, Redshrike, Calciumtrice, Buch, Tomoe Mami are used under CC BY 3.0 license. Privacy Policy: https://github.com/hippogamesunity/PixelStudioHub/wiki/Privacy-Policy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Swift Pixels4 screens
Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Swift Pixels at $1.99 against Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art's $12.99. Swift Pixels also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). On rating, device support and iOS requirement 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

Swift Pixels costs $1.99 and Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art $12.99 up front. Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Swift Pixels asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swift Pixels holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art has 73 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Swift Pixels's written reviews are positive against 85% of Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swift Pixels ships an update every 5 months, Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Swift Pixels versus Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwift PixelsPixel Studio PRO for pixel art
Price$1.99 — better$12.99
Rating4.7 (14 ratings) — better4.5 (73 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1473 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#82 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.7 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB133 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDavid GavilanFarida Yarullina

Customer experience

Swift Pixels

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art

All ratings73 ratings
Positive87.7%
Neutral5.5%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral6.6%
Negative8.8%

In-app purchases

None

Swift Pixels

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art

Subscriptions1
  • PREMIUM subscription$3.991 Month
One-time4
  • PROMOTION IN PIXEL NETWORK$0.99
  • EXTRA STORAGE IN PIXEL NETWORK$3.99
  • PRO CROSS GIFT -50%!$8.99
Show 1 more
  • PRO CROSS$17.99

Questions

Is Swift Pixels free?
Swift Pixels costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art free?
Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Swift Pixels or Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art?
Swift Pixels is rated higher. Swift Pixels averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art averages 4.5 from 73 ratings.
Do Swift Pixels or Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art have ads?
Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art shows ads; Swift Pixels does not.
Which is updated more often, Swift Pixels or Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art?
Swift Pixels ships an update every 5 months, and Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art every 6 weeks. Most recently, Swift Pixels was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pixel Studio PRO for pixel art on October 15, 2026.

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