# Pixel Studio vs Castle

The clearest difference is ads: Castle at none against Pixel Studio's shown. Castle also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly) and chart position (#202 vs unranked). Pixel Studio's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 79%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Studio sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Castle sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Pixel Studio against 4.7 for Castle. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Castle has 42K ratings behind it against 6.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Pixel Studio's written reviews are positive against 79% of Castle's.

Pixel Studio ships an update monthly, Castle fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Studio | Castle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-studio-pixel-art-editor/id1404203859/reviews) | **[4.7 (42K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-make-and-play/id1529189247/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6.1K | **42K** |
| Positive reviews | **93.7% of reviews** | 78.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#202** |
| Size | 144 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Farida Yarullina](https://appshunter.io/developer/846630437) | [Monterey's Coast, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529189249) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-studio-pixel-art-editor/id1404203859)

Create pixel art, animated sprites, and game assets with a comprehensive suite of drawing, animation, and color tools. Supports layers, frame-by-frame animation, and various export formats. Offers Apple Pencil support and a customizable workspace for efficient design.

**Highlights:** Layer-based pixel art drawing, Frame-by-frame sprite animation, Onion skinning for animation, Customizable brushes and tools, Palette creation and management, Export as GIF, MP4, and sprite sheets, Apple Pencil support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PREMIUM subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Sprite collection | $0.99 | one-time |
| PROMOTION IN PIXEL NETWORK | $0.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| PRO -50%! | $5.99 | one-time |
| PRO PROMO -50% | $5.99 | one-time |
| PRO CROSS -50%! | $8.99 | one-time |
| PRO CROSS GIFT -50%! | $8.99 | one-time |
| PRO | $12.99 | one-time |
| PRO CROSS | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great tools for pixel art
- 💡 Helpful tutorials
- 🔍 Detailed features
- 🌟 High-quality app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔀 Confusing navigation
- 🔍 Difficult to find certain features
- 🖌️ Brush size issues
- 🎨 Limited color palette options

**Reported bugs**

- Exporting animations not working as expected
- Unexpected behavior when merging layers
- Inconsistent performance on larger canvases
- Glitches with the reference image feature

**Requested features**

- Add custom brush options
- Improve layer management
- Implement a color wheel
- Add canvas resizing capabilities
- Introduce mirroring/symmetry tools


### Castle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/castle-make-and-play/id1529189247)

**Currently charting:** #202 Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Create and play games with a vibrant community. Design your own games using a simple editor, share them with friends, or explore millions of creations from others. Engage with creators, compete for scores, and develop artistic and technical skills.

**Highlights:** Intuitive game editor, Community game exploration, Social interaction features, Game remixing and customization, Creative skill development tools, Achievement system

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dweller | $3.99 | per month |
| Dweller+ | $7.99 | per month |
| 100 bricks | $0.99 | one-time |
| 550 bricks | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1,200 bricks | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to make games
- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 🎨 Allows creativity and expression
- ⭐ Best game app ever

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔧 Difficult for beginners
- 🔒 Restricted features for younger users
- 🔀 Issues with remixing and copying games

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard issues and text input problems
- Crashes when opening the app or creating new decks
- Sound and audio not working properly
- Decks not loading or disappearing

**Requested features**

- Add more colors and a color wheel
- Implement a friends system and multiplayer
- Allow longer audio tracks
- Improve text and drawing tools
- Add an undo/redo function


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Studio free?

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

### Is Castle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Studio or Castle?

Castle is rated higher. Pixel Studio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Castle averages 4.7 from 42K ratings.

### Do Pixel Studio or Castle have ads?

Pixel Studio shows ads; Castle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Studio or Castle?

Pixel Studio ships an update monthly, and Castle fortnightly. Most recently, Pixel Studio was updated on November 10, 2026 and Castle on November 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*