# Pixen vs Sprite Catalog

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sprite Catalog at none against Pixen's 1. Sprite Catalog also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 67%) and device support (4 vs 2). Pixen's advantage is ratings volume (178 vs 41) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Sprite Catalog asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pixen against 4.8 for Sprite Catalog. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 178 and 41 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Pixen's written reviews are positive against 85% of Sprite Catalog's.

Pixen ships an update monthly, Sprite Catalog fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixen | Sprite Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (178 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixen-pixel-art-editor/id1161880215/reviews) | **[4.8 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprite-catalog/id1560692872/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **178** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **84.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Furnace Creek Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/321189453) | [256 Arts](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437835951) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixen-pixel-art-editor/id1161880215)

Create and animate pixel art with a comprehensive set of tools. Manage projects, import/export various file formats, and utilize advanced features like layers and custom patterns. Optimized for Apple Pencil on iOS and macOS.

**Highlights:** Pixel art and animation editing, High zoom levels, Color palettes, Animation frame editing, Import/export various file formats, Apple Pencil support, Layers and blend modes

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro: One Time Purchase | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for beginners
- 🚀 Great for pixel game art
- 💡 iCloud sync with Mac version
- ✨ No ads whatsoever
- 👍 Responsive developer

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Little buggy
- 🐛 More tapping in menus than necessary
- 🐛 Low quality export
- 🐛 Hard to navigate for beginners
- 🐛 Too much extra work for frame duplication

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes
- Cannot make anything else after one image
- Cannot export
- App crashes when exporting
- Export as JPG without transparent background

**Requested features**

- Undo gestures
- Gallery for artworks
- Redo button
- Keep animation preview screen up while working
- Option to choose background color


### Sprite Catalog

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprite-catalog/id1560692872)

Access a vast library of over 3,000 pixel art sprites and fonts for game development. Easily browse, filter, recolor, and export assets for your projects. Import your own art and keep it synced across devices.

**Highlights:** Thousands of pixel art sprites, Organized collections, Pixel fonts, Premade color palettes, Drag-and-drop export, Recolor sprites, Import and sync own art

**Features:** iMessage stickers, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixen free?

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

### Is Sprite Catalog free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixen or Sprite Catalog?

Sprite Catalog is rated higher. Pixen averages 4.7 out of 5 from 178 ratings, while Sprite Catalog averages 4.8 from 41 ratings.

### Do Pixen or Sprite Catalog have ads?

Neither Pixen nor Sprite Catalog shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixen or Sprite Catalog?

Pixen ships an update monthly, and Sprite Catalog fortnightly. Most recently, Pixen was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sprite Catalog on October 30, 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.*