# Pixen vs createwithpixels

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: createwithpixels at none against Pixen's 1. createwithpixels also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). Pixen's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Pixen ships an update monthly, createwithpixels every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixen | createwithpixels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (179 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixen-pixel-art-editor/id1161880215/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **179** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Furnace Creek Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/321189453) | [Travis Noakes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639681037) |

## 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


### createwithpixels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/createwithpixels/id6473702233)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixen free?

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

### Is createwithpixels free?

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

### Do Pixen or createwithpixels have ads?

Neither Pixen nor createwithpixels shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixen or createwithpixels?

Pixen ships an update monthly, and createwithpixels every 6 months. Most recently, Pixen was updated on November 1, 2026 and createwithpixels 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.*