Comparison

Pixquare vs Goblin Node

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Pixquare

This application is a comprehensive pixel art editor designed for both beginners and professionals. It offers a wide array of tools for creating game assets, animations, and digital art. The interface is intuitive and customizable, supporting various input methods and advanced features for detailed artwork.

Highlights
  • Intuitive and customizable UI
  • RGB and Indexed color modes
  • Tileset/Tilemap system
  • Timelapse recording
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Animation timeline panel
  • Aseprite file compatibility
Features
Read full description

Pixquare is the #1 pixel art editor, recommended by top pixel artists, game developers, and creators worldwide! Whether you're a beginner or a pro, its simple interface and rich toolset make pixel art creation easy and fun! Download now to create game assets, animate, or simply doodle pixel art! With feedback from thousands of artists, Pixquare is designed for your best pixel art experience ever! • HIGHLIGHTS: - Support both iPads & iPhones - Highly customizable and intuitive UI with left-hand mode available - RGB and Indexed mode - Tileset/Tilemap system - Timelapse recording - Apple Pencil support: gestures, sensitivity, touch rejection - Manual & auto-save modes - Shortcut options: keyboard, gesture pad, joystick - Custom themes • VERSATILE TOOLS: - Brush: spray, pixel perfect, pressure sensitivity, contour, dithering, custom brush, jumble, blur - Eraser: pixel perfect, pressure sensitivity, dithering - Move: transformation and snapping supported - Line: straight & curve mode, perfect angle - Shape: ellipse & rectangle mode, filled, perfect ratio - Selection: 5 types & 5 modes - Color: solid/gradient fill, contiguous/non-contiguous, and more - Color picker: 4 modes (HSV, HSL, Wheel, RGB), history, drag-to-fill - All tools offer shading - Additional tools: + Color replace + Color adjustment + Outline + Text with font import capability + Custom object • LAYER/TIMELINE PANEL: - Optimized for animation & organized layers - Multi-selection, layer grouping, frame tagging, and bulk operations - Visibility and editing-lock toggle - Supports reference layers - Frame duration and cel opacity - Linked cells, onion skin, and clipping mask • ADDITIONAL FEATURES: - Symmetry tool with unlimited axes - Reference images - Color palette: save/load from Lospec, import/export, color gradient generator - Blending modes, alpha lock - Preview with a separate animation loop - Canvas rotation, Finder-like file system - Guideline • FILE IMPORT/EXPORT: - Aseprite file compatibility (importing & exporting) - GIF importing with all frames - PNG, GIF, MOV, Sprite sheet export options (layers, frames, size, and animation) - Import Photos and files as reference layers and images ------------------------------- WHY ARTISTS LOVE PIXQUARE? "Genuinely the best pixel art app for the iPad that I would recommend anyone to get!" - Jon Davies, Pixel Artist on Super House of Dead Ninjas, Binding of Isaac. "Pixquare has more than meets the eye. A seemingly simple interface that has the intuitive control you look for. The gesture pad is comparable to a desktop keypad." - Michael, Pixel Artist, Author of Pixel Logic book "I've been sharing it with basically everyone I know with an iPad because I think it's one of the best software out there for creating pixels on the iPad." - CupOhJoe, Game Developer "This is one fine app to pixel on the iPad! You can tell there's a lot of love for the craft poured in here" - Ota Jaider, Pixel Artist ------------------------------- • SCREENSHOT ARTWORK AUTHORS: - FICO (@FicoPx) - Tofu (@tofupixel.bsky.social) - Mossy (@MossyPixe) - chili (@ryviolie) - Lesma (@pixe_lesma) - ue_voxel (@UeVoxel) - TransientCode (@TransientCode) - 08games (@the08games) - Rinspirit_art(@rinspiritart.bsky.social) - natalie (@cafeaunat) ------------------------------- SUPPORT: User guide: https://docs.pixquare.art Email: info@pixquare.art Twitter: https://twitter.com/pixquare_app Website: https://www.pixquare.art/ NO SUBSCRIPTION. BUY ONCE AND ENJOY FREE UPDATES FOREVER!

About

Goblin Node

Create professional PBR textures and materials on your iPad with a touch-first, non-destructive procedural workflow. Generate reusable patterns, tileable surfaces, and complete material suites anywhere inspiration strikes, without needing a desktop rig.

Highlights
  • Touch-native procedural texturing
  • Non-destructive workflow
  • Modular material generation
  • PBR material suite creation
  • 100+ nodes including generators
  • 3D preview engine
  • One-time purchase for pro features
Features
Read full description

Stop chaining yourself to a desktop rig just to experiment with textures. Goblin Node brings professional, non-destructive and touch-first procedural texturing directly to your iPad. This isn't just another shader editor. Goblin Node has been designed specifically for generating modular and reusable patterns, tileable surfaces and complete PBR material suites wherever inspiration strikes. No subscriptions. No AI bloat. Just pure, portable procedural power. ——————————————————————————— SAY GOODBYE TO DESKTOP TEXTURING FRICTION ——————————————————————————— ⁃ Desktop-Grade Power, Zero Desk Required: Craft materials on the couch, on set, or in transit without compromising node complexity. ⁃ Touch-Native Precision: Effortlessly zoom, pan and edit node graphs with intuitive gestures designed specifically for iPad. ⁃ Focused Texture Workflow: Unlike complex shader editors, Goblin Node lets you skip the math so you can focus on pattern logic, surface wear, and map creation. ⁃ Non-Destructive Freedom: Swap out base patterns or tweak parameters downstream without breaking your material logic or re-doing past work. ⁃ No Subscriptions, Ever: Buy once, keep your tools forever and own your creative pipeline. ——————————————————— WHAT YOU CAN BUILD ——————————————————— ⁃ Complete PBR Material Suites: Generate production-ready maps; Albedo, Normal, Height, Roughness, Metallic, AO, Curvature and more ⁃ Complex Surface Mechanics: Build everything from weathered bricks and organic patinas to intricate weave patterns, tiles, and sci-fi paneling. ⁃ Deep Procedural Engine: Combine 100+ nodes, including generators like Voronoi, Perlin noise, mathematical shapes, text, imported imagery, and custom paint passes. ⁃ Advanced Spatial Transformations: Offset, rotate, distort, warp, mirror, blur and blend with precision controls. ⁃ Atlas & Multi-Asset Packing: Pack, split, and organize multi-texture maps into unified texture atlases for game engine optimization. ⁃ Touch 3D Preview Engine: See light and shadow react to your materials in real time on 3D meshes. ⁃ Modular Material Generators: Expose key parameters to turn your node graphs into reusable, customizable templates for instant variations. ——————————————————— PRO FEATURES (ONE-TIME PURCHASE) ——————————————————— ⁃ 45+ Advanced Nodes: Including Flood Fill, Multi-directional Warp, Slope Blur, Bevel and more! ⁃ One-Tap PBR Batch Export: Export all output channels (PNG, JPG, TIFF, TGA) simultaneously up to 4K—ready to drop straight into Unreal, Unity, or Blender. ⁃ Reusable Templates: Expose node parameters to turn complex graphs into customizable material generators. ⁃ Unlimited Graphs: Build, organize, and export without arbitrary project caps.

Screenshots

Pixquare4 screens
Goblin Node3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Pixquare at 3.2K against Goblin Node's 3. Goblin Node's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pixquare sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Goblin Node sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Pixquare against 4.7 for Goblin Node. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pixquare has 3.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pixquare ships an update weekly, Goblin Node every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Pixquare versus Goblin Node: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixquareGoblin Node
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.2K ratings) — better4.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews88.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.2K — better3
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSon NguyenRainer Weston

Customer experience

Pixquare

All ratings3,229 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews720 reviews
Positive88.8%
Neutral4.4%
Negative6.8%

Goblin Node

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Pixquare

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Duplicate layers that cannot be removed
  • Drawn content disappearing from layers
  • Lack of save functionality

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to merge layers
  • Option to customize imported palette colors
  • Radial symmetry tool
  • Polyline tool
  • Separate layer and timeline sections
Show 3 more
  • Brush stabilizer
  • Ability to rotate symmetry lines
  • Higher canvas resolution

Goblin Node

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Pixquare

One-time6
  • Buy me a coffee$1.99
  • Full access for iPhones$7.99
  • Life-time full access$9.99
Show 3 more
  • Life-time full access$12.99
  • Life-time full access2 variants$19.99
  • Life-time full access$24.99
1 purchases

Goblin Node

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock$9.99

Questions

Is Pixquare free?
Pixquare is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Goblin Node free?
Goblin Node is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Pixquare or Goblin Node?
Pixquare is rated higher. Pixquare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while Goblin Node averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.
Do Pixquare or Goblin Node have ads?
Neither Pixquare nor Goblin Node shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pixquare or Goblin Node?
Pixquare ships an update weekly, and Goblin Node every 9 days. Most recently, Pixquare was updated on October 21, 2026 and Goblin Node on October 15, 2026.

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