FocalPaint vs 1BitPencil
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)
1BitPencil
This high-resolution monochrome drawing app offers a realistic pencil tool for creating illustrations, manga, and notes. It supports large canvas sizes and exports in single-color PNG, with features for essential editing and animation video creation.
- High-resolution 1-bit canvas
- Realistic pencil drawing tool
- Supports A3 size at 2400 dpi
- Exports single-color PNG files
- Animation video creation
- Essential editing functions
- Timelapse recording
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***This app requires an Apple Pencil or a compatible stylus.*** **About “1BitPencil”** 1BitPencil is all about a **high-resolution 1-bit (black & white) canvas**. Even the ultra-realistic pencil tool draws in pure black and white. It’s a high-resolution monochrome drawing app, perfect for **illustration, manga, animation, and school notes**. With a uniquely realistic pencil tool, 1BitPencil aims to recreate the feeling of drawing on paper in a fully digital environment. You can flip through pages and switch between files quickly, just like turning pages in a sketchbook. The app supports work up to **A3 size at 2400 dpi**, and exports your artwork as **single-color PNG files**. There are no layers, but you can use tracing, clean-up, and merge functions for essential editing. If you’re looking for a **simple yet high-quality drawing environment**, 1BitPencil offers a fresh and focused creative experience. **Brush tools** * Pen * Pencil * Mechanical pencil * Lasso pen * Lasso pencil * Smudge * Dot shading * Tone lasso * Tone pen **Eraser tools** * Eraser * Kneaded eraser * Lasso eraser * Lasso kneaded eraser * Dot kneaded eraser **Selection tools** * Rectangular selection * Lasso selection **Canvas navigation** * Move * Rotate * Zoom in / out **Sharing features** * Paste from Photos * Share * Copy to clipboard and paste **Trace box** * Change drawing color and background color * Load an underdrawing * Merge and save **Other features** * Create animation videos (.mp4, .gif, .apng) * Export to PDF * Timelapse recording * Snap to straight line * Stroke stabilization * Pen tilt sensitivity * Smudge or eraser with touch * Display gamma adjustment **File management** * Create new folders * Rename multiple files with sequential numbers * Duplicate multiple files
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: 1BitPencil at 5.0 against FocalPaint's 4.2. 1BitPencil also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 8 days vs monthly). FocalPaint's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 1) and review sentiment (79% vs 69%). On ads, monetization model 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
FocalPaint costs $4.99 and 1BitPencil $6.99 up front. FocalPaint sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 1BitPencil asks for nothing beyond the download.
1BitPencil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FocalPaint has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of FocalPaint's written reviews are positive against 69% of 1BitPencil's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
FocalPaint ships an update monthly, 1BitPencil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FocalPaint | 1BitPencil |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better | 69.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 557 MB | 30 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | brien dieterle | HALVAL Ltd. |
Customer experience
FocalPaint
1BitPencil
In-app purchases
FocalPaint
- Generous Tip$0.99
- Big Tip$4.99
- Huge Tip$9.99
1BitPencil
No in-app purchases









