# FocalPaint vs 1BitPencil

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | FocalPaint | 1BitPencil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [4.2 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focalpaint/id1532688085/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1bitpencil/id6479184970/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 69.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 557 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [brien dieterle](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532688087) | [HALVAL Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735105016) |

## What reviewers say

### FocalPaint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/focalpaint/id1532688085)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Generous Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### 1BitPencil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1bitpencil/id6479184970)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FocalPaint free?

FocalPaint costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is 1BitPencil free?

1BitPencil costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FocalPaint or 1BitPencil?

1BitPencil is rated higher. FocalPaint averages 4.2 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while 1BitPencil averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do FocalPaint or 1BitPencil have ads?

Neither FocalPaint nor 1BitPencil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FocalPaint or 1BitPencil?

FocalPaint ships an update monthly, and 1BitPencil every 8 days. Most recently, FocalPaint was updated on October 24, 2026 and 1BitPencil 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.*