# Pixel Studio vs Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pixel Studio at 94% against Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)'s 50%. Pixel Studio also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (6.1K vs 3). On price, ads, 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 Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pixel Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixel Studio has 6.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Pixel Studio's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)'s.

Pixel Studio ships an update monthly, Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Studio | Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-studio-pixel-art-editor/id1404203859/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-ape-apps/id1549752366/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **93.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 144 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Farida Yarullina](https://appshunter.io/developer/846630437) | [Brandon Stecklein](https://appshunter.io/developer/498894252) |

## 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


### Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-paint-ape-apps/id1549752366)

Create 8-bit pixel art, sprites, and retro drawings with an intuitive editor. Features frame-by-frame animation, customizable canvases, and multiple export options. Perfect for beginners and professionals alike.

**Highlights:** 8-bit pixel art editor, Sprite and character creation, Frame-by-frame animation, Customizable canvas and palettes, Multiple export formats (PNG, ICO, GIF), Undo/Redo functionality, Light and dark themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pixel Paint Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Studio free?

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

### Is Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) free?

Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Studio or Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)?

Pixel Studio is rated higher. Pixel Studio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) averages 2.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Pixel Studio or Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) have ads?

Both Pixel Studio and Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Studio or Pixel Paint (Ape Apps)?

Pixel Studio ships an update monthly, and Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) every 5 months. Most recently, Pixel Studio was updated on November 13, 2026 and Pixel Paint (Ape Apps) on November 3, 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.*