# Charcoal vs Animator

Charcoal and Animator both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of Charcoal's written reviews are positive against 57% of Animator's. Animator's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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

Charcoal holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 144 and 62 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Charcoal's written reviews are positive against 57% of Animator's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Charcoal | Animator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (144 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484/reviews)** | [4.3 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animator-animation-maker/id1605749843/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **144** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | **76.8% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 29 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lars Augustin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1806278075) | [Sumita Hirpara](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580672204) |

## What reviewers say

### Charcoal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charcoal/id1490279484)

This app offers a simple yet powerful sketching experience with rich tools and beautiful color palettes. Easily create and export your artwork for use in other graphics programs. It supports modern iOS features like multiple windows and dark mode for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Simple sketching interface, Rich drawing tools, Beautiful color palettes, Export sketches, Multiple window support, Dark mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Simple and intuitive
- 👍 Great for quick sketching
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing design
- 💰 Free with no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🎨 Lack of customization options
- 🎨 Missing advanced drawing tools
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Saved sketches lose quality
- Palette colors change unexpectedly
- Freezing when opening color palette

**Requested features**

- Ability to change brush/pen size
- Layers and blending tools
- Color wheel and custom color selection
- Import/export options


### Animator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/animator-animation-maker/id1605749843)

Easily create animated drawings and videos without prior expertise. This tool allows you to doodle, draw on photos, and export your creations as GIFs or videos to share with friends. Intuitive controls and powerful drawing features make animation accessible to everyone.

**Highlights:** Frame-by-frame animation, Draw on photos, Export as GIF/Video, Intuitive UI, 20+ Brushes, Control animation speed

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Charcoal free?

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

### Is Animator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Charcoal or Animator?

Charcoal is rated higher. Charcoal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 144 ratings, while Animator averages 4.3 from 62 ratings.

### Do Charcoal or Animator have ads?

Neither Charcoal nor Animator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Charcoal or Animator?

Charcoal ships an update every 2 months, and Animator every 2 months. Most recently, Charcoal was updated on October 26, 2026 and Animator on October 22, 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.*