# Zen Brush 3 vs Color Shift

The clearest difference is price: Color Shift at Free against Zen Brush 3's $4.99. Color Shift also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Zen Brush 3's advantage is chart position (#12 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Color Shift is free to download; Zen Brush 3 costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Zen Brush 3 ships an update every 3 months, Color Shift weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zen Brush 3 | Color Shift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (58 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-brush-3/id1531841731/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **58** | — |
| Positive reviews | 59.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 226 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSOFT](https://appshunter.io/developer/373752450) | [Hsien-Te Hsieh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719651563) |

## What reviewers say

### Zen Brush 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zen-brush-3/id1531841731)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app allows users to create beautiful East Asian ink art, including calligraphy and painting. It simulates an ink brush with adjustable water and color features, offering a rich expressive range for both beginners and experienced artists. Easily share and edit your creations with various export options and background templates.

**Highlights:** Simulated 3D ink brush drawing, Adjustable water and color effects, Layer functionality for flexible editing, Import photos for tracing or backgrounds, Rich background and paper templates, Export to JPEG, PNG, and transparent PNG

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic brush simulation and ink blending
- 💧 Innovative water simulation and wet ink effects
- 🎯 Natural brush stroke behavior and responsiveness
- 🌈 Color palette addition in version 3
- 📄 Multiple paper textures and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Significant downgrade from version 2 in brush feel
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app instability
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain and device heating
- ❌ Limited undo functionality (only 5 levels)
- 🎨 Mushy brush strokes at default resolution

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when setting maximum resolution
- Crashes when adding layers or importing images
- Crashes during high-resolution JPEG export
- iPad Pro M2 overheating and battery drain
- Apple Pencil input not recognized

**Requested features**

- Canvas rotation with two-finger gestures
- Increased undo/redo levels (more than 5)
- Grid or guide line display for practice
- Custom color wheel/palette picker
- Instant erase without animations


### Color Shift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-shift/id6740580002)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zen Brush 3 free?

Zen Brush 3 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Color Shift free?

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

### Do Zen Brush 3 or Color Shift have ads?

Neither Zen Brush 3 nor Color Shift shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zen Brush 3 or Color Shift?

Zen Brush 3 ships an update every 3 months, and Color Shift weekly. Most recently, Zen Brush 3 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Color Shift 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.*