# Magic Cross vs String Art

Magic Cross and String Art both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Magic Cross's written reviews are positive against 37% of String Art's. String Art's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and ratings volume (26K vs 6.4K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Magic Cross sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and String Art sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Magic Cross holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.4K and 26K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Magic Cross's written reviews are positive against 37% of String Art's.

Magic Cross ships an update monthly, String Art every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Magic Cross | String Art |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-cross-stitch-pixel-art/id1461096984/reviews)** | [4.6 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/string-art/id6443872608/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.4K | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.2% of reviews** | 37.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 208 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [ZiMAD](https://appshunter.io/developer/360112684) | [SUPERSONIC STUDIOS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499845738) |

## What reviewers say

### Magic Cross

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magic-cross-stitch-pixel-art/id1461096984)

Unleash your inner artist with this digital coloring book. Paint by numbers to create vibrant pixel art masterpieces. Enjoy a vast collection of images, daily bonuses, and share your creations with friends.

**Highlights:** Extensive variety of pixel art images, Easy color-by-numbers gameplay, Augmented Reality Sharing, Experiment with color palettes, Share creations on social media, Daily bonuses and gifts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Color by number 1 week premium | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Mini Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Marathon Key | $2.99 | one-time |
| Small Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Cross Stitch coloring no ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Small Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Medium Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Huge Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful artwork
- 🕰️ Relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive controls
- 💎 Satisfying color-by-number experience
- 🎁 Rewarding daily tasks and challenges

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💢 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🚫 Lack of progress saving and syncing across devices
- 🤔 Inconsistent quality of imported user images

**Reported bugs**

- Progress resets after app crashes
- Coins not properly awarded for completed tasks
- Imported images not rendering correctly

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable background music
- Implement a 'delete' function for imported images
- Introduce more diverse and challenging picture categories
- Provide a 'resume' feature for unfinished puzzles


### String Art

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/string-art/id6443872608)

Create unique visual art using digital strings. Design intricate patterns and colorful masterpieces with an intuitive interface. Unleash your creativity and explore endless artistic possibilities.

**Highlights:** Create string art, Design intricate patterns, Use digital strings, Explore artistic possibilities, Intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads+10,000 Money | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads+10,000 Money+1000 Gem | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great game
- 👍 Fun and satisfying
- 😌 Relaxing and calming

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Too many ads
- ⏱️ Takes too long to complete pictures
- 🔍 Finished art doesn't match the reference

**Reported bugs**

- Ads don't go away even with paid ad-free option
- Game resets settings when moving to next level

**Requested features**

- More level variety
- Offline play mode
- Ability to customize art frames


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Magic Cross free?

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

### Is String Art free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Magic Cross or String Art?

Magic Cross is rated higher. Magic Cross averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.4K ratings, while String Art averages 4.6 from 26K ratings.

### Do Magic Cross or String Art have ads?

Both Magic Cross and String Art show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Magic Cross or String Art?

Magic Cross ships an update monthly, and String Art every 2 weeks. Most recently, Magic Cross was updated on September 28, 2026 and String Art on September 29, 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.*