# APS Sidekick vs HEAVYPAINT

The clearest difference is price: HEAVYPAINT at Free against APS Sidekick's $16.99. HEAVYPAINT also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 21 months) and ratings volume (66 vs 3). APS Sidekick's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (100% vs 58%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

HEAVYPAINT is free to download; APS Sidekick costs $16.99 up front. HEAVYPAINT sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. APS Sidekick asks for nothing beyond the download.

APS Sidekick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEAVYPAINT has 66 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of APS Sidekick's written reviews are positive against 58% of HEAVYPAINT's.

APS Sidekick ships an update every 21 months, HEAVYPAINT every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | APS Sidekick | HEAVYPAINT |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $16.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aps-sidekick/id1536328156/reviews)** | [4.0 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavypaint/id6654887306/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **66** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 58.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 21 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#186** | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Grant Olsen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1536328158) | [HEAVYPOLY, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469848545) |

## What reviewers say

### APS Sidekick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aps-sidekick/id1536328156)

**Currently charting:** #186 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This tool enables artists and animators to integrate ARKit facial capture into VR avatars for VR MocapFusion. Stream facial blendshape data in real-time for full body motion capture or live streaming with popular engines.

**Highlights:** ARKit facial capture for VR avatars, Real-time blendshape data streaming, VR MocapFusion integration, Full body motion capture export, Live streaming support, Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender plugins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HEAVYPAINT

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heavypaint/id6654887306)

This app offers a raw digital painting experience with unique tools for creating textured art and quick studies. It's designed for artists who embrace digital chaos and seek a streamlined, mobile art studio.

**Highlights:** Unique digital brushes, Color Jitter for texture, Fast color blocking tools, Line Blend for gradients, Liquify tool, Minimalist interface, Gallery for creations

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gallery Sync Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Gallery Sync Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlock Full Version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful brushes and tools
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Unique and distilled painting experience
- 👍 Responsive and dedicated developer
- 👍 Great community support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🐛 Issues with saving and restoring purchases
- 🐛 Inconsistent UI and missing features

**Reported bugs**

- Gallery crashes
- Artwork files not saving properly
- Eyedropper tool not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Improved layer management
- More customization options
- Better color controls and eyedropper tool


## Frequently asked questions

### Is APS Sidekick free?

APS Sidekick costs $16.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HEAVYPAINT free?

HEAVYPAINT is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, APS Sidekick or HEAVYPAINT?

APS Sidekick is rated higher. APS Sidekick averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while HEAVYPAINT averages 4.0 from 66 ratings.

### Do APS Sidekick or HEAVYPAINT have ads?

Neither APS Sidekick nor HEAVYPAINT shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, APS Sidekick or HEAVYPAINT?

APS Sidekick ships an update every 21 months, and HEAVYPAINT every 6 weeks. Most recently, APS Sidekick was updated on October 2, 2026 and HEAVYPAINT on October 13, 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.*