# Resprite vs PicoChat for iMessage

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PicoChat for iMessage at none against Resprite's 5. PicoChat for iMessage also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). Resprite's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 98). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Resprite sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. PicoChat for iMessage asks for nothing beyond the download.

Resprite holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Resprite has 1.5K ratings behind it against 98, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 79% positive.

Resprite ships an update every 5 weeks, PicoChat for iMessage daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Resprite | PicoChat for iMessage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/resprite-pixel-art-studio/id1662335989/reviews)** | [4.5 (98 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picochat-for-imessage/id6741395468/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 98 |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 79.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 31 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fengeon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662335991) | [Idrees Hassan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1374644873) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### PicoChat for iMessage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/picochat-for-imessage/id6741395468)

Relive the nostalgia of early 2000s handheld messaging with this retro drawing app for iMessage. Create tiny pixel art, use unique emoji, and share your creations with friends, even if they don't have the app installed. Features include undo, saving favorites, and customization options.

**Highlights:** Create tiny drawings in iMessage, Dozens of pixel emoji, Undo mistakes, Save favorite drawings, Customize name and color

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Perfection
- 👍 Super Cute!!
- 👍 Oh my lord
- 👍 YES!
- 👍 So much fun!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Needs multiple size formats
- 🐛 No icon app cannot be found
- 🐛 A few bugs!
- 🐛 almost perfect
- 🐛 Why is there no icon for it on the homescreen or any way to delete? 🧐

**Reported bugs**

- Settings don't save
- Cursor turns into scribbles when writing too fast
- Rainbow pen lags the app and force closes messages
- Doesn't accommodate all screen sizes

**Requested features**

- Bigger keyboard size
- Dark Mode support
- Scaling fix for iPad
- Ability to transform photos into drawings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Resprite free?

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

### Is PicoChat for iMessage free?

PicoChat for iMessage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Resprite or PicoChat for iMessage?

Resprite is rated higher. Resprite averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while PicoChat for iMessage averages 4.5 from 98 ratings.

### Do Resprite or PicoChat for iMessage have ads?

Neither Resprite nor PicoChat for iMessage shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Resprite or PicoChat for iMessage?

Resprite ships an update every 5 weeks, and PicoChat for iMessage daily. Most recently, Resprite was updated on October 30, 2026 and PicoChat for iMessage on October 22, 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.*