Swift Pixels vs PixelPad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide 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.
PixelPad
Read full descriptionHide full description
PixelPad is a focused pixel art and sprite animation studio for iPad and iPhone. Draw precise pixels with Apple Pencil or touch, build frame-by-frame animations, and export assets without leaving your device. DRAW WITH PRECISION • Work on crisp 8×8 to 128×128 canvases • Use Pencil, Eraser, Fill, Eyedropper, and Selection tools • Pan and zoom without losing the pixel grid • Undo and redo complete strokes ANIMATE FRAME BY FRAME • Add, duplicate, delete, and reorder frames • Set a project frame rate or tune timing per frame • Compare neighboring frames with color-coded onion skins • Preview animation with the same timing used for GIF export BUILD YOUR PALETTE • Add, remove, and reorder colors • Start with built-in palettes • Save reusable custom palette presets EXPORT GAME-READY ASSETS • Export transparent or solid-background PNGs • Create animated GIFs • Arrange sprite sheets by rows and columns • Control frame spacing and 1×, 2×, or 4× scale PRIVATE BY DEFAULT PixelPad currently works offline, requires no account, and stores projects on your device. Export through the standard share sheet whenever you are ready. The app starts in English. Korean is available at any time in Settings.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: PixelPad at Free against Swift Pixels's $1.99. PixelPad also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 months). Swift Pixels's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On in-app purchases 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
PixelPad is free to download; Swift Pixels costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Swift Pixels ships an update every 5 months, PixelPad every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swift Pixels | PixelPad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (14 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Gavilan | DAEHONG MIN |
In-app purchases
Swift Pixels
No in-app purchases
PixelPad
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Swift Pixels free?
Is PixelPad free?
Do Swift Pixels or PixelPad have ads?
Which is updated more often, Swift Pixels or PixelPad?
Other comparisons















