# MapScribe vs ArtGen

The clearest difference is price: ArtGen at Free against MapScribe's $2.99. ArtGen also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (63% vs 50%). MapScribe's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and chart position (#185 vs unranked). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ArtGen is free to download; MapScribe costs $2.99 up front. ArtGen sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. MapScribe asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.3 for MapScribe against 3.2 for ArtGen. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 216 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of MapScribe's written reviews are positive against 63% of ArtGen's.

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, ArtGen every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MapScribe | ArtGen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859/reviews)** | [3.2 (216 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artgen/id1338316126/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **216** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **63.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#185** | — |
| Size | 36 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Eskridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271371858) | [LIONBYTE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1338316125) |

## What reviewers say

### MapScribe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Easily create antique-styled maps on your iPad or iPhone.  Utilize a variety of "brushes" to paint features like mountains, trees, and towns.  Export your creations in multiple resolutions.

**Highlights:** Draw antique-styled maps, Finger swipe and tap interface, Variety of map feature "brushes", Multiple map resolutions, Selectable fonts for text, Color brushes for terrain

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ArtGen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artgen/id1338316126)

This app helps artists, writers, and creatives overcome creative blocks by generating randomized character concepts. Customize word pools with themed packs and reroll or manually edit attributes. Save your generated characters and attach your artwork, with all data stored locally or privately via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Randomized character concept generation, Customizable themed word packs, Reroll or manually edit attributes, Save generated characters, Attach artwork to saved characters, Local and private iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Realistic Pack | Free | one-time |
| Fantasy Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Space Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Historical Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Comic Book Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Packs | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for character concepts
- 👍 Useful for writers/artists
- 👍 Good for organizing characters
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Good value for in-app purchases

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashing issues
- 🐛 App closes when scrolling
- 🐛 Cannot delete characters
- 🐛 Cannot edit pictures
- 🐛 Confusing format for some

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening edited character
- App closes when scrolling down character profile
- Cannot delete characters
- Cannot edit character pictures
- App crashes when editing characters

**Requested features**

- Grid view selection
- More detail options
- Ability to delete characters
- Ability to re-roll existing character details
- More powers/attributes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MapScribe free?

MapScribe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ArtGen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MapScribe or ArtGen?

MapScribe is rated higher. MapScribe averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while ArtGen averages 3.2 from 216 ratings.

### Do MapScribe or ArtGen have ads?

Neither MapScribe nor ArtGen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MapScribe or ArtGen?

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, and ArtGen every 2 days. Most recently, MapScribe was updated on October 7, 2026 and ArtGen on October 6, 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.*