Comparison

Pixel Paint vs Atkinson

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pixel Paint

Create 8-bit pixel art with a retro camera and powerful editing tools. Capture photos in vintage styles, customize color palettes, and import images with advanced dithering. Sync your creations across devices with iCloud.

Highlights
  • Retro camera modes
  • Customizable color palettes
  • Photo import with dithering
  • Image editor
  • iCloud sync
  • Indexed color support
Features
Read full description

Brought to you by the creator of C64 Paint, Pixel Paint is THE 8-bit paint program for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Shoot photos in retro game system camera modes, draw pixels with colors compatible with home computers, customize your color palette, or import photos with state-of-the-art dithering and adaptive color palettes. Supports iCloud sync across all of your devices. Features: - Camera with 4 retro modes and brightness/contrast controls. - Import Photos: select from 5 different color palettes and 4 dithering modes. - Image Editor. - iCloud sync. Image Editor features: - Create images up to 256 x 256 pixels in size. - Indexed color with up to 16 colors. - Customizable color palette. - RGBA, HSB, and Swatch color pickers. - Copy/Paste colors. - Selection tool with ability to cut, copy, paste, move, and fill. - Hand tool for pan and zoom. - Brush tool with selectable brush size. - Supports two-finger pan and zoom. - Bucket Fill. Unlock the app to: - Save more than 5 images in the Gallery. - Import photos. - Export all images as PNG files inside a Zip file. - Backup and restore all images. BRK BRK BRK

About

Atkinson

This app processes photos using the Atkinson dithering algorithm, originally used for black and white displays on old Macintosh computers. It creates small file-sized images with options for square cropping, rounded corners, and white borders, offering a real-time preview of the effect.

Highlights
  • Atkinson dithering algorithm processing
  • Square photo output
  • Toggleable rounded corners
  • White border option
  • Real-time preview
Features
Read full description

Transform your photos with the iconic Atkinson dithering algorithm — the same technique used on the original Macintosh by Bill Atkinson. Create stunning retro-style images with a single tap. # What is Atkinson Dithering? Atkinson dithering was the algorithm behind the classic 1-bit graphics of early Macintosh computers. It converts photos i nto beautiful two-tone pixel patterns, producing images with a distinctive vintage charm and remarkably small file sizes. # Features - Real-time Atkinson dithering preview through your camera - 7 retro-tech color palettes: Terminal Green, Amber Monitor, Original Macintosh, Game Boy, Apple II Green, White Phospho r, and classic black & white - 5 iconic frames inspired by computing history: MacPaint, Classic Mac window, Terminal, White Frame, and frameless - Adjustable brightness control - Rounded corner option - Square photo output optimized for social media - Lightweight PNG output with tiny file sizes # Color Palettes Go beyond black and white. Choose from color palettes inspired by legendary displays — the green glow of VT100 terminals, the warm amber of IBM monitors, the creamy screen of the original Macintosh, and more. # Retro Frames Wrap your dithered photos in frames inspired by classic software. The MacPaint frame features pixel-perfect tool palettes and menu bars, just like Bill Atkinson's legendary paint program. The Classic Mac frame recreates the iconic window chrome of early Macintosh. # Perfect for - Retro and vintage photo enthusiasts - Pixel art lovers - Social media posts with a unique aesthetic - Anyone who appreciates the beauty of 1-bit graphics

Screenshots

Pixel Paint4 screens
Atkinson4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Pixel Paint at none against Atkinson's shown. Pixel Paint also leads on ratings volume (77 vs 6) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Atkinson's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and rating (3.3 vs 3.1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixel Paint sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Atkinson sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Atkinson holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Paint has 77 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Pixel Paint's written reviews are positive against 71% of Atkinson's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixel Paint ships an update every 6 months, Atkinson monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Pixel Paint versus Atkinson: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixel PaintAtkinson
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (77 ratings)3.3 (6 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.5% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFelt Tip Inc.Tsutomu Koyachi

Customer experience

Pixel Paint

All ratings77 ratings
Positive48.1%
Neutral15.6%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive56.5%
Neutral16.1%
Negative27.4%

Atkinson

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

Pixel Paint

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Color changes on canvas
  • Camera rotated on iPad
  • App crashes on save
  • App won't open photo/new project
  • Background is black after import

Requested features

18 requests
  • Add extra color slots/folders
  • Video to pixel format conversion
  • Ability to type exact hex codes
  • Flipbook animation feature
  • Transparency support
Show 13 more
  • Save custom color palettes
  • Import multiple images onto one canvas
  • Delete multiple items at once
  • Sort images into order
  • Fill tool
  • Line, box, and circle tools
  • Layering for tiles
  • GIF animation
  • Online library for sharing
  • NES color palettes
  • C64 multicolor resolution option
  • Increase canvas size limit
  • HSB color mode

Atkinson

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Pixel Paint

One-time1
  • Unlock Features$2.99
2 purchases

Atkinson

Subscriptions2
  • Standard Month$0.991 Month
  • Standard Year$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Pixel Paint free?
Pixel Paint is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Atkinson free?
Atkinson is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixel Paint or Atkinson?
Atkinson is rated higher. Pixel Paint averages 3.1 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Atkinson averages 3.3 from 6 ratings.
Do Pixel Paint or Atkinson have ads?
Atkinson shows ads; Pixel Paint does not.
Which is updated more often, Pixel Paint or Atkinson?
Pixel Paint ships an update every 6 months, and Atkinson monthly. Most recently, Pixel Paint was updated on September 4, 2026 and Atkinson on June 5, 2026.

Other comparisons