Pixel Studio for pixel art vs Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pixel Studio for pixel art
This app is a powerful yet simple pixel art editor designed for artists and game developers. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating detailed pixel art, including layers, animations, and advanced color manipulation. Sync your work across devices and share it with a vibrant community.
- Layers for advanced pixel art
- Frame-by-frame animations
- Export animations to GIF, MP4, or sprite sheets
- Google Drive sync for cross-device use
- Customizable palettes and color picker
- Support for various popular image formats
- Pixel art scaling and rotation tools
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Pixel Studio is a new pixel art editor for artists and game developers. Simple, fast and portable. No matter whether you are a beginner or a professional. Create amazing pixel art anywhere and anytime! We support layers and animations and have a ton of useful tools - all you need to create cool projects. Add music to your animations and export videos to MP4. Use Google Drive to sync your work between different devices. Join Pixel Network™ - our new pixel art community! Don't doubt, just try it and make sure you've chosen the best pixel art tool ever! Over 5.000.000 downloads around the world, translated to 23 languages! Features: • It's super simple, intuitive and user friendly • Use it on mobile and desktop with Google Drive sync • Use layers for advanced pixel art • Create frame-by-frame animations • Save animations to GIF or sprite sheets • Extend animations with music and export videos to MP4 • Share arts with friends and Pixel Network community • Create custom palettes, use built-in or download palettes from Lospec • Advanced color picker with RGBA and HSV modes • Simple zoom and move with gestures and joysticks • Use Portrait mode for mobile and Landscape for tablets and PC • Customizable toolbar and a lot of other settings • We support Apple Pencil! • We support all popular formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, TGA, PSP (Pixel Studio Project), PSD (Adobe Photoshop), EXR • Autosave and backup - don't lose your work! • Discover a ton of other useful tools and features! More features: • Shape Tool for primitives • Gradient Tool • Built-in and custom brushes • Sprite Library for your image patterns • Tile Mode for brushes • Symmetry drawing (X, Y, X+Y) • Dot Pen for precise drawing with a cursor • Text Tool with different fonts • Dithering Pen for shadows and flares • Pixel art rotation with Fast RotSprite algorithm • Pixel art scaler (Scale2x/AdvMAME2x, Scale3x/AdvMAME3x) • Onion Skin for advanced animation • Apply palettes to images • Grab palettes from images • Mini-map and Pixel Perfect preview • Unlimited canvas size • Canvas resizing and rotation • Customizable background color • Customizable grid • Multithreaded image processing • JASC Palette (PAL) format support • Aseprite files support (import only) You can support us by purchasing PRO (it's one-time purchase): • No ads • Google Drive sync • Dark Theme • 256-color palettes • Tile mode for making seamless textures • Extended max project size • Extra formats support: AI, EPS, HEIC, PDF, SVG, WEBP (cloud read only) and PSD (cloud read/write) • Unlimited color adjustment (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) • Unlimited export to MP4 • Extended storage in Pixel Network System requirements: • 2GB+ of RAM for large projects and animations • Powerful CPU (AnTuTu score 100.000+) Sample images made by lorddkno, Redshrike, Calciumtrice, Buch, Tomoe Mami are used under CC BY 3.0 license. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Privacy Policy: https://github.com/hippogamesunity/PixelStudioHub/wiki/Privacy-Policy Terms of Use: https://github.com/hippogamesunity/PixelStudioHub/wiki/EULA
Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
Create professional-quality digital art, comics, and animations with a vast array of brushes, materials, and editing tools. Offers features for beginners and pros, including 3D models for reference and advanced layer management.
- Unlimited brushes with realistic textures
- Vast library of artist-made materials
- Advanced coloring tools with Shading Assist
- 3D models for anatomy and perspective reference
- Comprehensive comic creation tools
- Professional animation features
- Non-destructive editing and layer management
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Draw with unlimited features for free for 30 hours monthly with no ads! Now with new, powerful features! Clip Studio Paint makes drawing a piece of cake, in any style! Whether you are a beginner or a pro, Clip Studio Paint will improve every aspect of your art experience, while helping you grow as an artist. Unlimited amount of brushes at your fingertips to recreate any style - Use brushes with the same textures as real art materials - Adjust details such as brush shape and paper quality to your liking - Make unique colors with realistic color mixing, like traditional paints - Draw with transparency to erase, so no need to switch brushes Countless artist-made materials - Level up your art with free materials, for backgrounds and more - Discover community-made brushes from creators worldwide - Add details with materials like frills and more Coloring made easy - Easily color even with line gaps using the magnetic lasso tool - Lock transparency to paint over layers without affecting other areas - Set light source and shadow position with Shading Assist - Instantly reference and apply colors from an image to your art using Color Match - Enhance your art with filters like Chromatic Aberration, Retro Film, Pencil, and more Learn alongside other creators - Loads of official tutorials and creator tips available - Watch tutorials on the Clip Studio Paint YouTube channel, for step-by-step advice - Ask questions on the Clip Studio Ask community Create the perfect reference with 3D models - Use 3D drawing figures to help out your anatomy - Customize character face and body models with beginner-friendly tools - Attach 3D objects like hats and shoes to characters for more specific references - Use 3D shapes to draw perspective Adjust after you draw - Liquify to make adjustments to the balance of your illustrations - Mesh Transformation allows you to transform to different shapes - Change up the poses of your character drawings with Puppet warp - Non-destructive color adjustment layers to get your art just right - Gradient maps give color to your grayscale illustrations Stress-free layer features - Assign colors and make multiple columns of layers to browse them at a glance - Enjoy the freedom of masking and clipping on multiple layers to edit and move your work - Add various effects to apply to the layer in a non-destructive way The ultimate comic creation app - All the tools you need for comic creation, from sketches to finishing touches - Panel frames, speech balloons, text, effect lines, and screen tones in an instant - Make high-resolution print data (6 GB+ memory recommended) - Manage multi-page projects Professional animation, on any device - Use all the same tools as animation studios - Unique features allow you to draw your frames as you like - Expand your drawings to 4K resolution without losing quality by saving it as vector data ●Grade features ・FREE: 30 hours/month ・PRO: All the tools you need to create stunning illustrations & short animations ・EX: All the above + multi-page functionality for comic/manga artists and unlimited animation frames *Clip Studio account needed to buy a plan. ● Target Devices and Specifications ・Minimum free storage space: 3GB, 4GB recommended ・Recommended display size: 5.5"+ Please see the following for supported devices. https://support.clip-studio.com/en-us/faq/articles/20200154 You can use the app fully for free for up to 30 hours each month. After this free period has ended, please purchase a plan to: - Save your canvas - Export your data in various file formats on iPhone and more Smartphone plan: PRO: US$0.99 per month, get an annual plan for up to 5 months' worth of savings! EX: US$2.49 per month, get an annual plan for up to 5 months' worth of savings! Clip Studio Paint End User License Agreement https://www.celsys.com/en/information/csp/ https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pixel Studio for pixel art at 94% against Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's 36%. Pixel Studio for pixel art also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and device support (3 vs 1). Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#109 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Pixel Studio for pixel art sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Clip Studio Paint for iPhone sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pixel Studio for pixel art holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.1K and 1.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Pixel Studio for pixel art's written reviews are positive against 36% of Clip Studio Paint for iPhone's.
Pixel Studio for pixel art ships an update every 4 weeks, Clip Studio Paint for iPhone every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pixel Studio for pixel art | Clip Studio Paint for iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (6.1K ratings) — better | 4.4 (1.8K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.7% of reviews — better | 35.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6.1K — better | 1.8K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #109 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 133 MB | 561 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Farida Yarullina | CELSYS,Inc. |
Customer experience
Pixel Studio for pixel art
Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
User reviews
Pixel Studio for pixel art
From 6.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great tools for pixel art
- 💡 Helpful tutorials
- 🔍 Detailed features
- 🌟 High-quality app
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔀 Confusing navigation
- 🔍 Difficult to find certain features
- 🖌️ Brush size issues
- 🎨 Limited color palette options
Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
From 1.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎨 Great for digital art
- 👍 Smooth drawing experience
- 💡 Useful 3D model integration
- 🎨 Powerful drawing tools
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Restrictive time limit for free users
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🤔 Confusing user interface
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
Bugs and requests
Pixel Studio for pixel art
Reported bugs
4 issues- Exporting animations not working as expected
- Unexpected behavior when merging layers
- Inconsistent performance on larger canvases
- Glitches with the reference image feature
Requested features
7 requests- Add custom brush options
- Improve layer management
- Implement a color wheel
- Add canvas resizing capabilities
- Introduce mirroring/symmetry tools
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- Enhance the animation workflow
- Provide a more intuitive file management system
Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login and account issues
- Unresponsive brushes and tools
- Inability to access purchased content
- Drawings not saving properly
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to save and continue drawings across sessions
- More free brushes and tools
- Improved mobile optimization
- Perpetual license option for mobile
In-app purchases
Pixel Studio for pixel art
- PREMIUM subscription$3.991 Month
- Sprite collection$0.99
- PROMOTION IN PIXEL NETWORK$0.99
- Disable Ads$1.99
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- EXTRA STORAGE IN PIXEL NETWORK$3.99
- PRO -50%!$5.99
- PRO PROMO -50%$5.99
- PRO CROSS -50%!$8.99
- PRO CROSS GIFT -50%!$8.99
- PRO$12.99
- PRO CROSS$17.99
Clip Studio Paint for iPhone
- PRO Monthly Smartphone Plan$0.991 Month
- EX Monthly Smartphone Plan$2.491 Month
- PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan3 Days trial$4.891 Month
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- PRO Monthly Single-Device Plan3 Months trial$4.891 Month
- PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan3 Days trial$7.991 Month
- PRO Monthly Dual-Device Plan3 Months trial$7.991 Month
- PRO Monthly Premium Plan3 Months trial$9.491 Month
- EX Monthly Single-Device Plan3 Days trial$9.691 Month
- EX Monthly Single-Device Plan3 Months trial$9.691 Month
- EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan3 Days trial$13.491 Month
- EX Monthly Dual-Device Plan3 Months trial$13.491 Month
Questions
Is Pixel Studio for pixel art free?
Is Clip Studio Paint for iPhone free?
Which has better reviews, Pixel Studio for pixel art or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone?
Do Pixel Studio for pixel art or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pixel Studio for pixel art or Clip Studio Paint for iPhone?
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