# Sprite Pencil vs PxPad

The clearest difference is ads: PxPad at none against Sprite Pencil's shown. PxPad also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 69%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Sprite Pencil's advantage is ratings volume (61 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PxPad holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sprite Pencil has 61 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Sprite Pencil's written reviews are positive against 100% of PxPad's.

Sprite Pencil ships an update every 5 weeks, PxPad fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sprite Pencil | PxPad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprite-pencil/id1437835952/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pxpad-pixel-art-maker-studio/id6747214858/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 69.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 12 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **18.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [256 Arts](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437835951) | [Andrew Moloney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1263277493) |

## What reviewers say

### Sprite Pencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sprite-pencil/id1437835952)

Create pixel art for games and icons with a focused set of tools. Features automatic shading brushes, symmetry mode, and easy palette management. Save and share your creations as crisp PNG files.

**Highlights:** Pencil, eraser, and fill tools, Automatic highlight and shadow brushes, Symmetry mode for mirrored strokes, Dithering for classic patterns, Handpicked and importable color palettes, Save as crisp PNG files

**Features:** iMessage stickers, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PxPad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pxpad-pixel-art-maker-studio/id6747214858)

Create pixel art and game sprites with a powerful native editor for iOS. Offers a full suite of tools, layers, and export options for retro art enthusiasts and game developers.

**Highlights:** Brush, eraser, fill, select, move, eyedropper tools, Layers and undo/redo functionality, Zoom, pan, and rotate gestures, Image import and export (PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, ICO, PX), iCloud integration and Files app previews, Dark mode and left-handed mode

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sprite Pencil free?

Sprite Pencil is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PxPad free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sprite Pencil or PxPad?

PxPad is rated higher. Sprite Pencil averages 4.6 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while PxPad averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Sprite Pencil or PxPad have ads?

Sprite Pencil shows ads; PxPad does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sprite Pencil or PxPad?

Sprite Pencil ships an update every 5 weeks, and PxPad fortnightly. Most recently, Sprite Pencil was updated on November 2, 2026 and PxPad on October 30, 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.*