Mandel vs Mandel Draw
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mandel
Explore the intricate beauty of the Mandelbrot set with this educational app. Zoom into fractal patterns, adjust rendering parameters, and choose from vibrant color themes. Learn about the mathematical and historical context behind this fascinating fractal.
- Render Mandelbrot set snapshots
- Zoom functionality
- Adjust iteration count
- Manipulate render scale
- Four colorful themes
- Mathematical background information
- Open-source code
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Render beautiful snapshots of the well-known Mandelbrot set on your iOS device! This OpenGL-ES-based educational app has been developed as part of the 'Multimedia' lecture at Freiberg University of Mining and Technology. It allows to zoom into the Mandelbrot set, manipulate iteration count and render scale and choose one of four colorful themes: - Fire - Ice - Ash - Psychedelic Further details about the mathematical and historical background as well as implementation aspects are included. The source code of Mandel-GL has been released under the Apache License 2.0.
Mandel Draw
Explore the infinite beauty of fractals with this intuitive drawing app. Generate Mandelbrot and Julia sets with numerous functions and color palettes. Enjoy simple touch controls for navigation and advanced settings for high-resolution output and iCloud syncing.
- Mandelbrot and Julia set generation
- 80+ fractal functions
- 20+ color palettes
- Intuitive touch controls (drag, pinch, tap)
- High-resolution output
- iCloud Sync for favorites and palettes
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Mandel Draw is an application that allows you to enjoy fractals, Mandelbrot sets and filled Julia sets, in a fast and comfortable way. The app allows you to draw an infinite number of fractal images from up to 80 different functions, 20+α color palettes, and freely configurable Julia parameters. Operation is simple. Drag to move, pinch to zoom in and out. Double- and triple-tap operations are also available. Convenient settings are also available. - Use DF64 operation: Double the float operation to make it possible to zoom in more. (Disabled in the Appendix 1,2) - Select render version: Two types of rendering methods can be selected. - Display coordinates and magnification: The current coordinates and magnification will be displayed on the screen. - Output detailed information: Add detailed information to the text when sharing. - High-resolution output: Outputs at 4 times the vertical and horizontal resolution when sharing. - iCloud Sync: Share favorites and My Palette with another iPhone or iPad. In addition, all functions are available when unlocked with in-app purchase. 1) All functions are selectable 2) All palettes can be selected 3) Up to 2000 favorites can be saved 4) Maximum number of My Palettes that can be saved is now 30. Now, please enjoy the wonderful and mysterious world of fractals. What is a fractal? Simply put, a fractal is a self-similar figure that does not lose its complexity no matter how much it is enlarged. (Though computers have their limitations.) There are various fractal shapes, such as the Koch curve, Sierpinski's gasket, and Menger's sponge. The Mandelbrot set and the filled Julia set are fractals drawn computationally on the complex plane.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mandel at 100% against Mandel Draw's 53%. Mandel also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Mandel Draw's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 3.2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 62 months). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Mandel Draw sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mandel asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mandel Draw holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mandel Draw has 147 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Mandel's written reviews are positive against 53% of Mandel Draw's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Mandel ships an update every 62 months, Mandel Draw weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mandel | Mandel Draw |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (5 ratings) | 4.5 (147 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 53.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 147 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 62 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg | Kouji Mori |
Customer experience
Mandel
Mandel Draw
In-app purchases
Mandel
No in-app purchases
Mandel Draw
- Unlock$1.99







