Comparison

Spirograph Maker vs Kinetiform

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 a flat ellipse, or a sharply pointed triangle or teardrop. 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

Kinetiform

This app transforms your doodles into dynamic abstract art. Shapes automatically connect and fill with unique patterns, while kaleidoscopic animations add a mesmerizing visual experience. You can also let the app create art for you with its Auto Draw feature.

Highlights
  • Automatic shape detection and pattern filling
  • Auto Draw for generative art creation
  • Regenerate patterns
  • 36 preset kaleidoscopic effects
  • Customizable kaleidoscope settings
  • Save and share drawings
Features
Read full description

Kinetiform is doodling reimagined. It is a canvas with a mind of its own. Draw abstract shapes that automatically connect and fill with randomly generated patterns. Use Auto Draw to sit back and watch as the app creates a unique random composition right before your eyes. Watch as your drawing is tumbled and twisted through beautiful kaleidoscopic animations. Features: - Automatically detects shapes and fills them with random procedural patterns - Auto Draw creates procedural art as you watch and finishes lines for you - Regenerate any pattern after it’s been drawn - 36 preset kaleidoscopic effects - Advanced kaleidoscope settings let you fully configure the effect - Pan and zoom feature that interacts with kaleidoscope effects - Draw into the kaleidoscope - Customize your drawing experience with several control options - Create a color palette and save it, or load one of 200 preset color palettes - Choose which patterns you want to use and how often they will randomly appear - Save drawings to work on them later - Save images to your photo library or share them on social media - 100 levels of undo

Screenshots

Spirograph Maker4 screens
Kinetiform4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kinetiform at 4.9 against Spirograph Maker's 4.4. Kinetiform also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 53%) and ads (none vs shown). Spirograph Maker's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 22 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Kinetiform 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

Kinetiform holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 88 and 41 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Spirograph Maker's written reviews are positive against 92% of Kinetiform's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Spirograph Maker ships an update every 2 weeks, Kinetiform every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Spirograph Maker versus Kinetiform: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpirograph MakerKinetiform
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (88 ratings)4.9 (41 ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.9% of reviews91.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings88 — better41
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 22 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.013.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKYWorksColordodge Labs

Customer experience

Spirograph Maker

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

Kinetiform

All ratings40 ratings
Positive97.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral4.2%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Spirograph Maker

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$3.99
1 purchases

Kinetiform

One-time1
  • Pro Mode$4.99

Questions

Is Spirograph Maker free?
Spirograph Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kinetiform free?
Kinetiform is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Spirograph Maker or Kinetiform?
Kinetiform is rated higher. Spirograph Maker averages 4.4 out of 5 from 88 ratings, while Kinetiform averages 4.9 from 41 ratings.
Do Spirograph Maker or Kinetiform have ads?
Spirograph Maker shows ads; Kinetiform does not.
Which is updated more often, Spirograph Maker or Kinetiform?
Spirograph Maker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Kinetiform every 22 months. Most recently, Spirograph Maker was updated on October 20, 2026 and Kinetiform on October 22, 2026.

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