# Drawing Pad vs Clip Studio Paint

The clearest difference is rating: Clip Studio Paint at 4.7 against Drawing Pad's 4.3. Drawing Pad's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#204 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drawing Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Clip Studio Paint sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.89 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Clip Studio Paint holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drawing Pad has 99K ratings behind it against 15K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Drawing Pad's written reviews are positive against 46% of Clip Studio Paint's.

Drawing Pad ships an update weekly, Clip Studio Paint every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawing Pad | Clip Studio Paint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (99K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad/id1169413062/reviews) | **[4.7 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint/id1262985592/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **99K** | 15K |
| Positive reviews | 43.6% of reviews | **45.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#204** | — |
| Size | 413 MB | 583 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sunny Side Hurricane LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1467213449) | [CELSYS,Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/291038364) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawing Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad/id1169413062)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app allows users to draw, sketch, and doodle with a variety of tools and brushes. It offers features for photo editing, a coloring book, and the ability to record and share creations. Users can enhance their artwork with stickers, stamps, and frames.

**Highlights:** Drawing, sketching, and doodling tools, Photo editing with magic brush effects, Coloring book with multiple categories, Record and share drawings as video, Stickers, stamps, and frames, Apple Pencil support

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Lite Weekly Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Weekly Offer | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Drawing Pad Subscriptions | $8.99 | per month |
| Pro Weekly Trial | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Lite Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Lite Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- 🎨 Good for basic drawing and doodling
- 👍 Helpful for improving drawing skills
- 🎨 Provides a variety of brushes and tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Requires subscription to access full features
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Frequent pop-ups and ads
- 🐛 Laggy performance and glitches
- 🔒 Limited functionality without subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Drawings not saving properly
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Unresponsive touch controls

**Requested features**

- More drawing tools and customization options
- Ability to save and export drawings
- Smoother performance and fewer bugs
- More affordable pricing model


### Clip Studio Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clip-studio-paint/id1262985592)

Create digital art with a vast array of brushes, textures, and colors. This app offers tools for drawing, painting, comic creation, and animation, with features like 3D models for reference and advanced layer options. It provides a free trial and subscription plans for full access.

**Highlights:** Unlimited custom brushes, Realistic color mixing, Artist-made materials, 3D model references, Comic creation tools, Animation features, Advanced layer editing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Monthly | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan | $4.89 | per month |
| PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| EX Monthly | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Single-Device Plan | $9.69 | per month |
| EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan | $13.49 | per month |
| PRO Annual Single-Device Plan | $28.90 | per year |
| PRO Annual Single-Device Plan | $28.90 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best drawing software for iPad
- 🎨 Powerful features like vector layers
- 💻 Seamless transition from desktop to iPad
- 👍 Great for comics and illustrations
- 🎨 Diverse brushes and materials

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Confusing interface for beginners
- 🔒 Requires internet connection to save
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💻 Lacks full desktop feature parity

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to save work without subscription
- Laggy performance with large files
- Unreliable auto-save and recovery
- Issues with brush and tool responsiveness

**Requested features**

- One-time purchase option
- Improved file management and cloud integration
- Simplified interface for casual users
- More animation and 3D tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawing Pad free?

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

### Is Clip Studio Paint free?

Clip Studio Paint is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drawing Pad or Clip Studio Paint?

Clip Studio Paint is rated higher. Drawing Pad averages 4.3 out of 5 from 99K ratings, while Clip Studio Paint averages 4.7 from 15K ratings.

### Do Drawing Pad or Clip Studio Paint have ads?

Neither Drawing Pad nor Clip Studio Paint shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawing Pad or Clip Studio Paint?

Drawing Pad ships an update weekly, and Clip Studio Paint every 3 weeks. Most recently, Drawing Pad was updated on November 8, 2026 and Clip Studio Paint on November 8, 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.*