Comparison

Flow vs Sketchy

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

Head to head
About

Flow

Create beautiful notes and drawings with realistic ink and paper. Offers infinite canvas, customizable tools, and secure cloud syncing. Collaborate with others and organize your work with elegant notebooks.

Highlights
  • Realistic ink and paper simulation
  • Infinite width documents
  • Customizable drawing tools
  • Secure cloud storage and sync
  • Notebook organization
  • Export images and timelapse videos
Features
Read full description

Flow helps you make beautiful notes and draw with realistic ink and paper. Take notes, sketch, journal and plan all within the one app. With Apple Pencil, writing and drawing in Flow feels incredibly responsive, and you can even collaborate on documents with friends and colleagues. —FEATURES— - Infinite width documents, just swipe and keep writing and drawing - Secure storage, synced between your devices - Create your own unique set of drawing tools - Colored paper with dot grid, squared, lined or blank styles - Customizable gestures - Advanced Apple Pencil support - Organize your documents with customizable notebook covers - Elegant minimal interface that puts everything at your fingertips - Export images and timelapse videos - Multitask on iPad with Split View, Slide Over and drag-and-drop Membership with Flow includes realtime cloud storage and backup for your documents and tools across all of your devices. —MEMBERSHIP— Download Flow to try it free. After your free trial, Flow requires a subscription which provides you with regular app updates and realtime cloud storage of your documents. Monthly and discounted yearly options are available. If your subscription lapses, Flow remains available in read-only mode. —QUESTIONS?— We love to speak with users, so feel free to reach out at any time via the Flow menu under Help > Contact Support. If you have a feature idea, please let us know at https://bonobo.canny.io/flow. Want to learn more about Timepage, Actions, or Flow? Visit https://bonobolabs.com to read our guides. —MORE— Subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew unless automatic renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and automatic renewal status in Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Price may vary by location. Privacy policy: https://bonobolabs.com/privacy Terms of service: https://bonobolabs.com/terms —THANK YOU—

About

Sketchy

This is a lightweight drawing application designed for artists of all skill levels. It offers a variety of brushes, preset shapes, and unlimited colors to help users create and save their artwork with ease. The app features haptic feedback, undo/redo functionality, and customizable modes for an intuitive drawing experience.

Highlights
  • Variety of brushes
  • Preset shapes
  • Unlimited colors
  • Haptic feedback
  • Undo & Redo
  • Dark & Light Modes
  • Save to iCloud
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Sketchy: The lightweight but powerful drawing app. Create, Express, and Save Your Art with Ease! Unleash your creativity with our simple small little drawing app designed for artists of all levels. Whether you're sketching a quick idea or crafting a masterpiece, our intuitive interface makes it easy to focus on what matters most—your art! Key Features: • Variety of Brushes: Choose from an array of brush styles to suit every creative need. From fine lines to broad strokes, find the perfect brush for every detail. • Preset Shapes: Quickly add predefined shapes to your artwork, giving you more creative possibilities. • Unlimited Colors: Explore a full spectrum of colors to bring your vision to life, with easy customization. • Haptic Feedback: Feel every stroke as you draw, thanks to the immersive haptic feedback. • Undo & Redo: Made a mistake or want to refine your work? Effortlessly undo or redo your last action with a simple tap. • Dark & Light Modes: Seamlessly switch between dark and light modes to match your environment or preference. • Custom Canvas Colors: Manually adjust your canvas color to set the perfect background for your art. • Landscape & Portrait Mode: Switch seamlessly between landscape and portrait orientations to suit your drawing style. • Fullscreen Painting: Immerse yourself in your art with fullscreen painting, making the most of your device's display. • Save to iCloud: Never lose your creations! Save your drawings directly to your iCloud folder, making them accessible across all your devices. • Simple Interface: Designed for ease of use, our minimalist interface allows you to focus on drawing without distractions. Whether you're doodling, sketching, or painting, Sketchy is your perfect companion. Download now and start creating anytime, anywhere! Download today and let your imagination run wild!

Screenshots

Flow4 screens
Sketchy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Sketchy at 5.0 against Flow's 4.1. Sketchy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5). Flow's advantage is ratings volume (7.2K vs 1) and review sentiment (24% vs 0%). On price, update cadence, 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. Flow sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Sketchy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sketchy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flow has 7.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 24% of Flow's written reviews are positive against 0% of Sketchy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow ships an update every 6 days, Sketchy weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Flow versus Sketchy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlowSketchy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (7.2K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.8% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings7.2K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size241 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBonoboElliott Lafayette-Morgan

Customer experience

Flow

All ratings7,235 ratings
Positive78.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative17.5%
Written reviews1,007 reviews
Positive23.8%
Neutral9.2%
Negative66.9%

Sketchy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Flow

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Drawings disappearing or becoming corrupted
  • Eraser tool not functioning as expected
  • Scrolling and zooming issues
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add vertical scrolling option
  • Improve line smoothing and anti-aliasing
  • Implement layers and advanced drawing tools
  • Integrate text input and handwriting recognition
  • Enhance export and sharing capabilities

Sketchy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Flow

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Membership7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual Membership7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Bonobo Bundle (Annual)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Bonobo Bundle (Annual Family)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Bonobo Bundle (Lifetime)$129.99
None

Sketchy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flow free?
Flow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sketchy free?
Sketchy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Flow or Sketchy?
Sketchy is rated higher. Flow averages 4.1 out of 5 from 7.2K ratings, while Sketchy averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Flow or Sketchy have ads?
Neither Flow nor Sketchy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flow or Sketchy?
Flow ships an update every 6 days, and Sketchy weekly. Most recently, Flow was updated on November 10, 2026 and Sketchy on November 4, 2026.

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