# Tiny Paint vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Charcoal at none against Tiny Paint's 3. Tiny Paint's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (525 vs 144). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tiny Paint sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 6 months. Charcoal asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Tiny Paint against 4.5 for Charcoal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 525 and 144 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Tiny Paint's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Tiny Paint ships an update monthly, Charcoal every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tiny Paint | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (525 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-paint-draw-doodle-art/id1376425610/reviews) | **[4.5 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **525** | 144 |
| Positive reviews | **81.4% of reviews** | 76.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 336 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [80 Degree Photo Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1376425609) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Tiny Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tiny-paint-draw-doodle-art/id1376425610)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating, drawing, and editing images. It supports layers, a wide variety of brushes, and advanced selection tools for precise edits. Users can also remove unwanted objects and apply numerous filters and color adjustments.

**Highlights:** Unlimited layers with blend modes, Over 450 high-quality brushes, 60+ photo enhancement filters, Intelligent selection tools, Raster and vector graphics editing, Object removal (Inpaint), Extensive resources (stickers, textures)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UNLIMITED ACCESS | $14.99 | per 6 months |
| Unlock 450+ Paint Brushes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Elements & Filters | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for drawing and editing
- 💡 Lots of features and tools
- 🎨 Useful for beginners and professionals
- 🚀 Smooth performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🔒 Limited functionality without subscription
- 🎨 Difficult to navigate for some users
- 🐛 Laggy and buggy at times

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to save drawings
- Brush settings reset unexpectedly
- Layers disappear after exiting the app
- Frequent freezes and lags when using certain tools

**Requested features**

- Add direct line tool
- Improve layer management
- Allow importing/exporting of PSD files
- Provide a free version with fewer limitations
- Improve overall stability and reduce crashes


### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tiny Paint free?

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

### Is Charcoal free?

Charcoal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tiny Paint or Charcoal?

Charcoal is rated higher. Tiny Paint averages 4.4 out of 5 from 525 ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 144 ratings.

### Do Tiny Paint or Charcoal have ads?

Neither Tiny Paint nor Charcoal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tiny Paint or Charcoal?

Tiny Paint ships an update monthly, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Tiny Paint was updated on October 26, 2026 and Charcoal on October 26, 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.*