# Pixaki 3 (Legacy) vs Phorma

The clearest difference is price: Phorma at Free against Pixaki 3 (Legacy)'s $24.99. Phorma also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and device support (3 vs 1). Pixaki 3 (Legacy)'s advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Phorma is free to download; Pixaki 3 (Legacy) costs $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pixaki 3 (Legacy) ships an update every 5 weeks, Phorma every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixaki 3 (Legacy) | Phorma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (90 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixaki-3-legacy/id1130919277/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **90** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rizer Creative Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/341335746) | [Jose Villegas](https://appshunter.io/developer/306097889) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixaki 3 (Legacy)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixaki-3-legacy/id1130919277)

This powerful pixel art studio for iPad allows you to create detailed 2D graphics and animations. It offers advanced features like layers, custom palettes, and precise drawing tools, all within an intuitive multi-touch interface.

**Highlights:** Custom canvas sizes, Layers with opacity control, Animation with onion skinning, Customizable color palettes, Reference layers for drawing over images, Line, rectangle, and ellipse tools, Powerful color replacement tool

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Excellent for pixel art creation and animation
- ⚡ Smooth workflow with Apple Pencil support
- 📁 Strong file format support and export options
- 🎬 Powerful animation features with layer-based system

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 High price point ($25) relative to features
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ❌ Missing many basic professional features
- 🎯 Limited canvas size (max 1024x1024)
- ⚙️ Lack of advanced selection and transformation tools

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently, sometimes losing recent work
- Eraser tool acts as pencil, drawing instead of erasing
- Color picker stops working
- Screen freezes when changing image size
- Tool automatically switches to dropper or eraser unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Lasso tool for free-form selection
- Free rotation (not just 90-degree increments)
- Magic wand/color-based selection tool
- Layer grouping and layer naming
- Clipping masks and layer blending modes


### Phorma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phorma/id6740219670)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixaki 3 (Legacy) free?

Pixaki 3 (Legacy) costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Phorma free?

Phorma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pixaki 3 (Legacy) or Phorma have ads?

Neither Pixaki 3 (Legacy) nor Phorma shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixaki 3 (Legacy) or Phorma?

Pixaki 3 (Legacy) ships an update every 5 weeks, and Phorma every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pixaki 3 (Legacy) was updated on November 6, 2026 and Phorma 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.*