Comparison

Spirograph Maker vs Pendulum Paint Bucket

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

Head to head
About

Spirograph Maker

Easily create intricate spirograph patterns by adjusting gear size and pen color. Explore a variety of designs with this intuitive drawing application.

Highlights
  • Easy spirograph creation
  • Adjustable gear size
  • Customizable pen color
  • Draw various figures
  • Intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

Create mesmerizing geometric art with a single tap. Released in 2017 with over 110,000 downloads — a math-meets-art tool refined over 9 years. Spirograph Maker turns the timeless mechanical drawing toy into a digital playground for your iPhone and iPad. Choose your gears, pick your colors, and watch hypnotic patterns bloom across the screen — no drawing skill required. WHERE MATH MEETS ART The patterns Spirograph creates aren't accidents — they're governed by GCD/LCM and parametric equations. Watch how the lobe count is determined by n/gcd(n,m), see hypotrochoids and epitrochoids come alive on your screen. A visual companion for middle-school number theory and high-school parametric curves. Whether you're a curious learner, a math enthusiast, or just love beautiful patterns, this is where math becomes mesmerizing. In 2022, this app was acknowledged in an academic paper on algebraic combinatorics — the smoothness criteria for Positroid varieties (Billey & Weaver, arXiv:2207.06508). From a child's toy to cutting-edge mathematical research — that's how deep these patterns go. FOUR GEAR SHAPES Not just circles. Draw with ellipse, rounded triangle (a curve of constant width), and teardrop gears too. Change the gear's shape and the symmetry of the pattern changes with it: circles stay regular, ellipses stretch, triangles beat in threes, teardrops curve organically. A strength slider tunes each shape continuously — from nearly circular to sharply pointed. KEY FEATURES - Auto-draw mode: tap once and beautiful patterns appear on their own - Custom color palette with gradient mode for endless combinations - Adjustable gear shapes and sizes: circle / ellipse / rounded triangle / teardrop, plus tooth count - Save your creations directly to your Photo Library - Share to Instagram, Facebook, or anywhere - Full iPad support — a bigger canvas for finer detail - Light and Dark mode WHY SPIROGRAPH MAKER - A meditative break from a busy day — without leaving your phone - A visual bridge between middle-school math and university geometry - Inspired by the classic Spirograph toy, reimagined for modern iOS - Perfect for parents, students, artists, and math enthusiasts - Works offline, anywhere PERFECT FOR - Winding down before bed - Sparking creativity with kids - A short math meditation anytime - Making one-of-a-kind wallpapers - Sharing unique art on Instagram - A short, calm focus break during your day In Japan, downloads notably spike around the start of new school terms and summer breaks — pointing to a growing use as a learning companion. Pull out your phone, tap once, and watch sacred geometry unfold. Whether you're a designer, a doodler, a student, or just love beautiful patterns, Spirograph Maker is the simplest way to make art that mesmerizes. Free to download. Optional ad-free upgrade available.

About

Pendulum Paint Bucket

Unleash your creativity with a unique painting and drawing experience. Swing a paint bucket to create stunning patterns, doodles, and bucket art. It's a fun and relaxing way to express yourself, regardless of your artistic skill level.

Highlights
  • Pendulum motion painting
  • Create bucket art and doodles
  • Save and share patterns
  • Realistic paint effects
  • Stress relief and relaxation
Features
Read full description

Just express yourself and unleash your creativity by swinging the bucket again and again. It's one of the best fun painting and drawing app that brings a fun and amazing drawing experience to anyone who wants to be creative, regardless of skill level. How It Works: - Select your favorite color combinations, swing the paint bucket, and let the motion do its work. - You can paint, doodle, and create bucket art with a pendulum motion. - The number of loops is increasing at expert levels in bucket paint art. - Just draw whatever you want and become a doodling master. - Save patterns to the image gallery. - Share patterns with your friends Features: - Fun, creativity, and relaxation. - A great way to relieve stress. - Paint stunning patterns like a spiral draw. - Realistic paint, affected by pressure and gravity. There's nothing more satisfying than watching pendulum art unfold right in front of your eyes.

Screenshots

Spirograph Maker4 screens
Pendulum Paint Bucket4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Spirograph Maker at 4.4 against Pendulum Paint Bucket's 3.6. Spirograph Maker also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). Pendulum Paint Bucket's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Spirograph Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pendulum Paint Bucket sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spirograph Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 88 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Spirograph Maker's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pendulum Paint Bucket's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spirograph Maker ships an update fortnightly, Pendulum Paint Bucket every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Spirograph Maker versus Pendulum Paint Bucket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpirograph MakerPendulum Paint Bucket
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (88 ratings) — better3.6 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews52.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings88 — better30
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKYWorksVECTOR LABS LIMITED

Customer experience

Spirograph Maker

All ratings88 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral9.1%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive52.9%
Neutral11.8%
Negative35.3%

Pendulum Paint Bucket

All ratings30 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Spirograph Maker

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
1 purchases

Pendulum Paint Bucket

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99

Questions

Is Spirograph Maker free?
Spirograph Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pendulum Paint Bucket free?
Pendulum Paint Bucket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spirograph Maker or Pendulum Paint Bucket?
Spirograph Maker is rated higher. Spirograph Maker averages 4.4 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while Pendulum Paint Bucket averages 3.6 from 30 ratings.
Do Spirograph Maker or Pendulum Paint Bucket have ads?
Spirograph Maker shows ads; Pendulum Paint Bucket does not.
Which is updated more often, Spirograph Maker or Pendulum Paint Bucket?
Spirograph Maker ships an update fortnightly, and Pendulum Paint Bucket every 5 months. Most recently, Spirograph Maker was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pendulum Paint Bucket on June 1, 2026.

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