# PicRef vs Resprite

The clearest difference is price: Resprite at Free against PicRef's $0.99. Resprite also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 26). PicRef's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Resprite is free to download; PicRef costs $0.99 up front. Resprite sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. PicRef asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PicRef against 4.7 for Resprite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Resprite has 1.5K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of PicRef's written reviews are positive against 80% of Resprite's.

PicRef ships an update weekly, Resprite every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PicRef | Resprite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picref-for-reference-picture/id1641905969/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resprite-pixel-art-studio/id1662335989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 26 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **84.4% of reviews** | 79.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#134** | — |
| Size | 24 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [祥 汤](https://appshunter.io/developer/1623075074) | [Fengeon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662335991) |

## What reviewers say

### PicRef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picref-for-reference-picture/id1641905969)

**Currently charting:** #134 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app allows users to view and manipulate reference images with no loss of quality. It offers tools for cropping, resizing, and batch editing, with an optional drawing feature for iPad users. The interface is designed for efficiency, supporting split-screen use with other graphics software.

**Highlights:** No loss of image quality, Image dragging, cropping, resizing, Batch editing (drag, delete, mirror, sort), Desaturate and mirror images, Free rotation at any angle, Split screen support, Handwriting notes (iPad only)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Resprite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resprite-pixel-art-studio/id1662335989)

This professional pixel art editor offers desktop-class features optimized for touch and pen input. Create pixel illustrations, animations, and game assets with an extensive toolset, advanced layers, and a high-performance renderer, all on your mobile device.

**Highlights:** High-performance drawing engine, Innovative palette and coloring tools, Advanced layers and timeline system, Optimized gesture and pen controls, Flexible interface layout, Import/export GIF, spritesheet, and PSD files

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| 12 Months | $14.99 | per year |
| A Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Standard | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 💡 Customizable interface
- 👍 Familiar Aseprite-like experience
- 🚀 Powerful features for pixel art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Exporting limited on free version
- 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
- 🔍 Unintuitive UI navigation at times

**Reported bugs**

- Tools disappearing from the UI
- Importing Aseprite files not working properly
- Export function counting against trial limit even when cancelled

**Requested features**

- Add keyframe animation support
- Implement tile set creation tools
- Allow importing/exporting more file formats
- Improve undo/redo functionality
- Add cursor/crosshair display option


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PicRef free?

PicRef costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Resprite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PicRef or Resprite?

Resprite is rated higher. PicRef averages 4.7 out of 5 from 26 ratings, while Resprite averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do PicRef or Resprite have ads?

Neither PicRef nor Resprite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PicRef or Resprite?

PicRef ships an update weekly, and Resprite every 5 weeks. Most recently, PicRef was updated on October 30, 2026 and Resprite 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.*