# Doodalive vs Simple Sketchbook

The clearest difference is price: Doodalive at Free against Simple Sketchbook's $1.99. Doodalive also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 3) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). Simple Sketchbook's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Doodalive is free to download; Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99 up front. Doodalive sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Simple Sketchbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple Sketchbook holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Doodalive has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Doodalive ships an update every 2 months, Simple Sketchbook every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodalive | Simple Sketchbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodalive/id1148320517/reviews) | **[4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-sketchbook/id6761445903/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#74** |
| Size | 104 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KiwisApp](https://appshunter.io/developer/425453316) | [Duncan Pollock](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886679285) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodalive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodalive/id1148320517)

Transform sketches into dynamic animations with intuitive tools. Bring drawings to life with animated strokes, create manga, and make notes engaging. Export creations as videos or images for sharing or professional use.

**Highlights:** Dynamic animated brushes, Create and animate manga, Image and model library, Custom sticker creation, Animated note-taking, Export as video or image

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Snow | Free | one-time |
| Christmas | Free | one-time |
| New Year Pack | Free | one-time |
| Jack o'lantern | Free | one-time |
| Paper plane | Free | one-time |
| No Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Magic | $0.99 | one-time |
| Candle | $0.99 | one-time |
| Petals | $0.99 | one-time |
| Halloween Spells | $2.99 | one-time |
| Dia de muertos | $2.99 | one-time |
| In classroom | $2.99 | one-time |
| New year, new challenges | $2.99 | one-time |
| Chalk | $2.99 | one-time |
| Fire | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pixel Art | $9.99 | one-time |


### Simple Sketchbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-sketchbook/id6761445903)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

A digital sketchbook for iPad and iPhone that offers a clean, fast drawing experience without distractions. Create multiple sketchbooks with various paper styles, utilize layers, and import reference images. Export your work as high-resolution PNGs, PDFs, or timelapse videos.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free drawing interface, Multiple sketchbooks with custom paper styles, Multi-layer support with opacity and blend modes, Import reference images, Export pages as PNG or PDF, Generate timelapse videos of drawings, Face ID/Touch ID sketchbook lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodalive free?

Doodalive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Simple Sketchbook free?

Simple Sketchbook costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Doodalive or Simple Sketchbook?

Simple Sketchbook is rated higher. Doodalive averages 4.0 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Simple Sketchbook averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Doodalive or Simple Sketchbook have ads?

Doodalive shows ads; Simple Sketchbook does not.

### Which is updated more often, Doodalive or Simple Sketchbook?

Doodalive ships an update every 2 months, and Simple Sketchbook every 9 days. Most recently, Doodalive was updated on October 24, 2026 and Simple Sketchbook on October 25, 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.*