# Super Simple Draw vs Charcoal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Charcoal at none against Super Simple Draw's 1. Charcoal also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). Super Simple Draw's advantage is ratings volume (4K vs 143). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Super Simple Draw holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Super Simple Draw has 4K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Super Simple Draw's written reviews are positive against 77% of Charcoal's.

Super Simple Draw ships an update every 5 weeks, Charcoal every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Super Simple Draw | Charcoal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/super-simple-draw/id1400062030/reviews)** | [4.5 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4K** | 143 |
| Positive reviews | **82.0% of reviews** | 76.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) |

## What reviewers say

### Super Simple Draw

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/super-simple-draw/id1400062030)

A minimalist drawing application designed for quick sketches and notes, offering seamless integration with Apple Pencil and widgets. It supports various iPad features and standard iOS sharing, making it as easy to use as a physical whiteboard.

**Highlights:** Home screen widgets, Apple Pencil gesture support, iPad multitasking, Grid and lined backgrounds, Draw on images, Save for Instagram, Undo/redo functionality

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Good color selection
- 💡 Simple and straightforward
- 🎨 Supports Apple Pencil
- 🎨 Great for quick sketching and drawing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional lag or delay in line drawing
- 🔍 Lack of zoom or detail features
- 🎨 Limited brush/tool options
- 🎨 Could use more color options

**Reported bugs**

- In-app purchase issues with ads still showing
- Compatibility problems on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add zoom and pan functionality
- Implement more brush/tool options
- Expand color palette
- Add ability to save and load drawings


### 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 Super Simple Draw free?

Super Simple Draw 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, Super Simple Draw or Charcoal?

Super Simple Draw is rated higher. Super Simple Draw averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4K ratings, while Charcoal averages 4.5 from 143 ratings.

### Do Super Simple Draw or Charcoal have ads?

Super Simple Draw shows ads; Charcoal does not.

### Which is updated more often, Super Simple Draw or Charcoal?

Super Simple Draw ships an update every 5 weeks, and Charcoal every 2 months. Most recently, Super Simple Draw was updated on September 23, 2026 and Charcoal on September 8, 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.*