# Pixen vs Pixelss

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pixelss at 100% against Pixen's 67%. Pixelss also leads on update cadence (daily vs monthly) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Pixen's advantage is ratings volume (172 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pixelss sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixelss holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixen has 172 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Pixen's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pixelss's.

Pixen ships an update monthly, Pixelss daily. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixen | Pixelss |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (172 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixen-pixel-art-editor/id1161880215/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelss/id6502847876/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **172** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Furnace Creek Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/321189453) | [Sounds Creative LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708656194) |

## 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


### Pixelss

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelss/id6502847876)

Create pixel art animations with this intuitive application. Design your characters and scenes frame by frame, bringing your creations to life with simple tools. Perfect for aspiring animators and pixel art enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Pixel art animation creation, Frame-by-frame design, Intuitive animation tools, Character and scene design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Five Save Slots | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Higher Resolution | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock 64 Frames | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Save Slots | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixen free?

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

### Is Pixelss free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixen or Pixelss?

Pixelss is rated higher. Pixen averages 4.7 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Pixelss averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pixen or Pixelss have ads?

Neither Pixen nor Pixelss shows ads.

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

Pixen ships an update monthly, and Pixelss daily. Most recently, Pixen was updated on October 9, 2026 and Pixelss on October 2, 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.*