# Drawing Pad vs Realistic Paint Studio

The clearest difference is rating: Realistic Paint Studio at 4.7 against Drawing Pad's 4.2. Realistic Paint Studio also leads on ratings volume (735 vs 123). Drawing Pad's advantage is price ($5.99 vs $11.99) and review sentiment (83% vs 67%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Drawing Pad costs $5.99 and Realistic Paint Studio $11.99 up front. Drawing Pad sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Realistic Paint Studio sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Realistic Paint Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Realistic Paint Studio has 735 ratings behind it against 123, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Drawing Pad's written reviews are positive against 67% of Realistic Paint Studio's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Drawing Pad ships an update monthly, Realistic Paint Studio every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawing Pad | Realistic Paint Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$5.99** | $11.99 |
| Rating | [4.2 (123 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad/id358207332/reviews) | **[4.7 (735 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realistic-paint-studio/id1529593385/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 123 | **735** |
| Positive reviews | **82.7% of reviews** | 67.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#121** | — |
| Size | 223 MB | 1005 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 11.0 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Murtha Design LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/306572989) | [Aleksandr Komarov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529593777) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawing Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawing-pad/id358207332)

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

Unleash your creativity with a mobile art studio for all ages. This app offers a wide array of realistic art tools, from crayons and markers to paint brushes and colored pencils. Easily import photos as backgrounds or stickers, blend colors, and share your masterpieces.

**Highlights:** Photo-realistic art tools, Crayons, markers, paint brushes, colored pencils, Stickers and roller pens, Photo background import, Color blending tool, Export and sharing options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Occupations Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| More Fun Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Fairy Tale Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Sea Life Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Winter Holiday Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Farm Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Dinosaur Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Robots Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Space Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Halloween Coloring Book | Free | one-time |
| Adult Coloring Book 1 | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Great for kids
- 👍 Versatile and fun
- 🎨 Encourages creativity
- 🎨 Lots of drawing tools
- 🎨 Excellent color selection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and deletes work
- 🐛 Undo button issues
- 🖌️ Limited brush/pencil options
- 🖌️ Blending tool issues
- 🖼️ No full screen on iPad

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and deletes drawings
- Undo button erases too much work
- Drawings disappear from album
- Sticker placement issues
- Incompatible with newer iPads

**Requested features**

- Add layers feature
- Implement zoom/pan functionality
- Add text tool
- Provide more advanced drawing tools
- Include more adult-oriented coloring books


### Realistic Paint Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realistic-paint-studio/id1529593385)

This digital art software offers a familiar art station experience with realistic brushes, pencils, and markers. It allows users to create art in drawing, watercolor, and oil painting styles with a unique color engine and diverse canvas textures. Step-by-step tutorials and live demonstrations guide users through the creative process.

**Highlights:** Realistic color engine, Drawing, Watercolor, Oil Painting styles, Realistic brushes and tools, Realistic canvases with diverse textures, Live demonstration of drawing methods, Step-by-step tutorials

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Artistic brush | Free | one-time |
| Mechanical pen | Free | one-time |
| Glitz pen | Free | one-time |
| Glass pen | Free | one-time |
| Fountain pen | Free | one-time |
| Calligraphy brush | Free | one-time |
| Hieroglyph brush | Free | one-time |
| Diamond brush | Free | one-time |
| Album with six color sheets | Free | one-time |
| All brushes from the VIP box | Free | one-time |
| Dragon brush | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crystal brush | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic and immersive painting experience
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Excellent brush dynamics and color blending
- 🎨 Wide variety of traditional media tools
- 🎨 Aesthetically pleasing presentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Limited export options (no PSD, no transparent background)
- 🔒 Restricted canvas size and resolution
- 🔒 Lack of customization for brushes and tools

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when using the camera feature
- Inconsistent behavior with the undo/redo function
- Issues with the color mixing in the palette
- Delayed response and lag when using Apple Pencil

**Requested features**

- Add support for PSD export with layers
- Implement canvas rotation and resizing options
- Allow for more brush customization and pressure sensitivity
- Improve color picker and palette functionality
- Introduce a simple, distraction-free canvas mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawing Pad free?

Drawing Pad costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Realistic Paint Studio free?

Realistic Paint Studio costs $11.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drawing Pad or Realistic Paint Studio?

Realistic Paint Studio is rated higher. Drawing Pad averages 4.2 out of 5 from 123 ratings, while Realistic Paint Studio averages 4.7 from 735 ratings.

### Do Drawing Pad or Realistic Paint Studio have ads?

Neither Drawing Pad nor Realistic Paint Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawing Pad or Realistic Paint Studio?

Drawing Pad ships an update monthly, and Realistic Paint Studio every 5 weeks. Most recently, Drawing Pad was updated on September 24, 2026 and Realistic Paint Studio on September 20, 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.*