# Drawing Carnival vs Alchemy DIY

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alchemy DIY at none against Drawing Carnival's 1. Alchemy DIY also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15). Drawing Carnival's advantage is ratings volume (114K vs 8.9K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drawing Carnival sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Alchemy DIY asks for nothing beyond the download.

Alchemy DIY holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drawing Carnival has 114K ratings behind it against 8.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 68% and 67% positive.

Drawing Carnival ships an update every 4 weeks, Alchemy DIY every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawing Carnival | Alchemy DIY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (114K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-carnival/id1658965410/reviews) | **[4.9 (8.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-diy-magic-lab/id6451245111/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **114K** | 8.9K |
| Positive reviews | **67.7% of reviews** | 67.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 288 MB | 175 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Crazy Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/721307559) | [9UP COMPANY LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846108017) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawing Carnival

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-carnival/id1658965410)

Engage in a creative coloring and drawing experience. Mix art styles, divide images into parts, and use various tools like spray paint and glitter to create unique masterpieces. Enjoy a relaxing ASMR experience while solving artistic color puzzles.

**Highlights:** Coloring and drawing game, Mix art styles, Divide images into parts, Variety of painting tools, Color page ASMR, Artistic color puzzles

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads Pack Discount | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Creative drawing tools
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🎨 Variety of art styles
- 🎨 Relaxing gameplay
- 🎨 Fun and addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Too many ads
- 🤔 Limited drawing options
- 🤔 Repetitive content
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🤔 Inability to draw full pictures

**Reported bugs**

- Glitches causing app crashes
- Ads not loading properly
- Inability to access certain features

**Requested features**

- More drawing options and freedom
- Reduced ads or ad-free version
- Ability to draw full pictures
- More variety in content and art styles


### Alchemy DIY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-diy-magic-lab/id6451245111)

Combine various emoticons and icons to create unique new ones. Swipe, swap, and match to discover intriguing combinations across categories like smileys, animals, and cuisine. Save and share your creations with friends and family.

**Highlights:** Combine and match icons, Create new unique icons, Save and share creations, Over 1,000 different icons, No time limit

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Engaging and creative gameplay
- 💎 Unique emoji mixing mechanics
- 🎨 Wide variety of emojis to create

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Too many ads interrupting gameplay
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or tutorials

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saving properly
- Glitches when trying to mix certain emojis
- Ads sometimes prevent returning to the game

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable ads
- Improve saving and progress tracking
- Expand emoji library with more options
- Provide more customization and personalization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawing Carnival free?

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

### Is Alchemy DIY free?

Alchemy DIY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drawing Carnival or Alchemy DIY?

Alchemy DIY is rated higher. Drawing Carnival averages 4.7 out of 5 from 114K ratings, while Alchemy DIY averages 4.9 from 8.9K ratings.

### Do Drawing Carnival or Alchemy DIY have ads?

Both Drawing Carnival and Alchemy DIY show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawing Carnival or Alchemy DIY?

Drawing Carnival ships an update every 4 weeks, and Alchemy DIY every 4 days. Most recently, Drawing Carnival was updated on November 13, 2026 and Alchemy DIY on November 12, 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.*