# Pixel Studio for pixel art vs MapChart App

The clearest difference is ads: MapChart App at none against Pixel Studio for pixel art's shown. MapChart App also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks). Pixel Studio for pixel art's advantage is review sentiment (94% vs 83%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Studio for pixel art sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and MapChart App sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 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 for pixel art against 4.8 for MapChart App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.8K and 4.8K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Pixel Studio for pixel art's written reviews are positive against 83% of MapChart App's.

Pixel Studio for pixel art ships an update every 4 weeks, MapChart App weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Studio for pixel art | MapChart App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-studio-for-pixel-art/id1404203859/reviews) | **[4.8 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapchart-app/id1541877062/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.8K** | 4.8K |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 82.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 133 MB | 176 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Farida Yarullina](https://appshunter.io/developer/846630437) | [Minas Giannekas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541877064) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Studio for pixel art

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

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| 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 |
| EXTRA STORAGE IN PIXEL NETWORK | $3.99 | 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


### MapChart App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapchart-app/id1541877062)

Create custom maps by coloring them with various tools and options. Save, load, and share your creations. Offers a wide selection of map types, from world and historical maps to fantasy and video game maps.

**Highlights:** Wide variety of map types, Intuitive map coloring, Customizable map elements, Save and load creations, Share to social media, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MapChart Premium to Max | $2.99 | one-time |
| MapChart Premium | $4.99 | one-time |
| MapChart Premium Max | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Customizable maps
- 💡 Helpful for geography and history
- 🎨 Enjoyable to create maps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Missing some smaller countries/regions
- 🎨 Difficulty coloring smaller areas
- 🔒 Lack of save/load functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Saved maps sometimes deleted unexpectedly
- Borders not aligning properly on some maps
- Difficulty selecting/coloring small regions

**Requested features**

- Add drawing/border editing tools
- Implement more historical map options
- Allow custom country/region creation
- Improve export/save functionality
- Add more detailed subdivision maps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Studio for pixel art free?

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

### Is MapChart App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Studio for pixel art or MapChart App?

MapChart App is rated higher. Pixel Studio for pixel art averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.8K ratings, while MapChart App averages 4.8 from 4.8K ratings.

### Do Pixel Studio for pixel art or MapChart App have ads?

Pixel Studio for pixel art shows ads; MapChart App does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Studio for pixel art or MapChart App?

Pixel Studio for pixel art ships an update every 4 weeks, and MapChart App weekly. Most recently, Pixel Studio for pixel art was updated on September 24, 2026 and MapChart App on September 23, 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.*