# Artstudio Pro vs Barcode Flow

The clearest difference is price: Artstudio Pro at Free against Barcode Flow's $1.99. Artstudio Pro also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 20 months). Barcode Flow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Artstudio Pro is free to download; Barcode Flow costs $1.99 up front. Artstudio Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per year. Barcode Flow asks for nothing beyond the download.

Artstudio Pro ships an update monthly, Barcode Flow every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Artstudio Pro | Barcode Flow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artstudio-pro-draw-paint/id1244142051/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 74.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 385 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lucky Clan](https://appshunter.io/developer/294866851) | [敬 潘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1630712468) |

## What reviewers say

### Artstudio Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artstudio-pro-draw-paint/id1244142051)

This powerful app offers advanced drawing, painting, and photo editing tools for creative professionals and enthusiasts. It features a robust engine, flexible layer system, and an advanced brush engine for realistic strokes. Users can also create animations and import/export various image formats.

**Highlights:** GPU accelerated ArtEngine, Unlimited layers and large canvas sizes, Advanced brush engine with 150+ brushes, Flexible layer system with groups and masks, Professional photo editing tools, Animation creation and export, Import/Export ABR/TPL brush and pattern formats

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Game Controller support, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Subscription | $3.49 | per year |
| Lifetime License | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and feature-rich
- 👍 Familiar Photoshop-like interface
- 💡 Supports Photoshop brushes
- 🎨 Excellent brush engine and painting experience
- 🔍 Robust selection and adjustment tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🤔 Steep learning curve
- 🔀 Confusing UI and navigation
- 🖌️ Inconsistent palm rejection and input issues
- 💾 Unreliable saving and file management

**Reported bugs**

- Gradient tool not working as expected
- Brush settings not saving properly
- Unexpected canvas resizing and cropping
- Layers disappearing or not rendering correctly

**Requested features**

- Add custom brush creation
- Improve canvas resizing and previewing
- Implement better layer and mask management
- Add more blending and color adjustment tools
- Introduce keyboard shortcuts and gesture support


### Barcode Flow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/barcode-flow/id6739764220)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Artstudio Pro free?

Artstudio Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Barcode Flow free?

Barcode Flow costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Artstudio Pro or Barcode Flow have ads?

Neither Artstudio Pro nor Barcode Flow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Artstudio Pro or Barcode Flow?

Artstudio Pro ships an update monthly, and Barcode Flow every 20 months. Most recently, Artstudio Pro was updated on October 16, 2026 and Barcode Flow on October 7, 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.*