FocalPaint vs Axiom Solver
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FocalPaint
This app offers a unique brush engine for realistic paint simulation, pigment mixing, and canvas textures. It allows for custom brush and layer creation using Metal GPU or Javascript code, with advanced features like spectral color models and Apple Pencil Pro support.
- Realistic paint and pigment mixing
- Custom brush and layer creation
- Transparent ink simulation
- Apple Pencil Pro support
- Spectral color model
- Open source shader code library
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FocalPaint's unique brush engine simulates thick paint and real pigment mixing with accurate physics models. Features: - Realistic color blending behaves like real paint! - Real canvas texture and paint thickness - Transparent Ink simulation - Open Source GPU shader code library for reference and customization - Write your own custom brush with Metal GPU or Javascript code - Write your own custom layer modes with Metal GPU code - Apple Pencil Pro support with hover - 16 channel "spectral" color model (256 bits per pixel) - Wide color gamut (P3) Please note: Apple A12 GPU or newer is required Terms of Use: https://www.focalpaint.com/p/terms-of-use.html Privacy Policy: https://www.focalpaint.com/p/privacy.html Special Thanks to: Scott Allen Burns Troy James Sobotka & Friends colour-science.org python library MyPaint painting software team Anna Timm (@anti-art)
Axiom Solver
Create realistic fire, smoke, explosions, and magical effects using GPU-accelerated 3D fluid simulation. This tool is designed for professional artists and studios, but is also accessible for learning and experimentation on iPad.
- GPU-accelerated fluid simulation
- Create fire, smoke, and explosions
- Visual effects for movies and games
- Export scenes for Houdini integration
- Sketch ideas and learn VFX
- Fun for creative experimentation
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Axiom is a GPU accelerated 3D fluid solver that lets you create fire, smoke, explosions, magic, and more! Axiom is used by professional artists and studios to create visual effects for movies & games and now you can use it on iPad! Use it to sketch ideas, learn more about visual effects, or just have fun! If you want to push your effect even further you can export your scenes and import them into SideFX's Houdini using Axiom for Houdini.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: FocalPaint at 79% against Axiom Solver's 0%. FocalPaint also leads on ratings volume (13 vs 4). Axiom Solver's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Axiom Solver is free to download; FocalPaint costs $4.99 up front. FocalPaint sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Axiom Solver asks for nothing beyond the download.
Axiom Solver holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of FocalPaint's written reviews are positive against 0% of Axiom Solver's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
| Parameter | FocalPaint | Axiom Solver |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.2 (13 ratings) | 4.5 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 557 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | brien dieterle | Theory Accelerated LLC |
Customer experience
FocalPaint
Axiom Solver
In-app purchases
FocalPaint
- Generous Tip$0.99
- Big Tip$4.99
- Huge Tip$9.99
Axiom Solver
No in-app purchases








