# Pixel Studio for pixel art vs ISD Buddy

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ISD Buddy at none against Pixel Studio for pixel art's 11. ISD Buddy also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence and device support 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. ISD Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pixel Studio for pixel art ships an update every 4 weeks, ISD Buddy every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Studio for pixel art | ISD Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-studio-for-pixel-art/id1404203859/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 93.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 133 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Farida Yarullina](https://appshunter.io/developer/846630437) | [Lilysoft LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1752353880) |

## 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


### ISD Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isd-buddy/id6670692232)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## 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 ISD Buddy free?

ISD Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pixel Studio for pixel art or ISD Buddy have ads?

Pixel Studio for pixel art shows ads; ISD Buddy does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Studio for pixel art or ISD Buddy?

Pixel Studio for pixel art ships an update every 4 weeks, and ISD Buddy every 5 weeks. Most recently, Pixel Studio for pixel art was updated on October 31, 2026 and ISD Buddy on October 5, 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.*