# Pixen vs Sashiko

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sashiko at daily against Pixen's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sashiko sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixen ships an update monthly, Sashiko daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixen | Sashiko |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (178 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixen-pixel-art-editor/id1161880215/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **178** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 9 MB | 289 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Furnace Creek Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/321189453) | [A.D LONG & J ZHU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1785999695) |

## 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


### Sashiko

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sashiko/id6820033503)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited personal patterns | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited saved swatches | $2.99 | one-time |
| Flowers pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Sashiko pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Plants pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Food pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Objects pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Animals & insects pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Decorative motifs pattern book | $5.00 | one-time |
| Complete stitch course | $10.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixen free?

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

### Is Sashiko free?

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

### Do Pixen or Sashiko have ads?

Neither Pixen nor Sashiko shows ads.

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

Pixen ships an update monthly, and Sashiko daily. Most recently, Pixen was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sashiko 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.*