Comparison

Mandel vs Mandel Draw

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Render Mandelbrot set snapshots
  • Zoom functionality
  • Adjust iteration count
  • Manipulate render scale
  • Four colorful themes
  • Mathematical background information
  • Open-source code
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Mandel3 screens
Mandel Draw4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mandel Draw sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mandel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mandel ships an update every 62 months, Mandel Draw weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Mandel versus Mandel Draw: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMandelMandel Draw
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (5 ratings)4.5 (147 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better53.3% of reviews
Number of ratings5147 — better
Update frequencyEvery 62 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTechnische Universitaet Bergakademie FreibergKouji Mori

Customer experience

Mandel

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mandel Draw

All ratings147 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral20.0%
Negative26.7%

In-app purchases

None

Mandel

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Mandel Draw

One-time1
  • Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is Mandel free?
Mandel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mandel Draw free?
Mandel Draw is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mandel or Mandel Draw?
Mandel Draw is rated higher. Mandel averages 3.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Mandel Draw averages 4.5 from 147 ratings.
Do Mandel or Mandel Draw have ads?
Neither Mandel nor Mandel Draw shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mandel or Mandel Draw?
Mandel ships an update every 62 months, and Mandel Draw weekly. Most recently, Mandel was updated on October 5, 2026 and Mandel Draw on October 18, 2026.

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