# Pixel Paint vs Atkinson

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Paint | Atkinson |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-8bit-art/id1183955795/reviews) | **[3.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atkinson/id1569487124/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Felt Tip Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/306118159) | [Tsutomu Koyachi](https://appshunter.io/developer/413497532) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-8bit-art/id1183955795)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Features | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for pixel art
- ✨ Simple interface
- 🚀 Works well
- 💰 Reasonable price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Cost to import photos
- 🎨 Limited colors
- 🤔 Difficult settings
- 😩 Washed out colors
- 🤏 Small blocks

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add extra color slots/folders
- Video to pixel format conversion
- Ability to type exact hex codes
- Flipbook animation feature
- Transparency support


### Atkinson

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atkinson/id1569487124)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Standard Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Standard Year | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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.

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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.*