Art in Motion vs Ions 2+
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Art in Motion
This app allows users to create dynamic, evolving digital art scenes rather than static paintings. Utilize a powerful physics engine to bring orbs, colors, and interactive elements to life, offering a unique artistic experience on multi-touch devices.
- Create dynamic art scenes
- Powerful physics engine
- Interactive multi-touch support
- Customizable orb behavior
- Evolving color palettes
- Pre-bundled scene examples
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Art in Motion is a new kind of art application. It’s based on the idea that art should evolve with technology. The iPad is the best multi-touch device on the market, and it is packed with huge processing power. Standard drawing can be very fun, but it hardly makes full use of these advancements in technology. How does Art in Motion compare to standard drawing? • With Art in Motion you create a scene instead of a painting. • Instead of drawing mountains, or trees, you customize and add orbs to your scene. • Instead of looking at your drawing, you watch your orbs come alive. • Unlike a painting, there is motion and life in your creation. You can even interact with your scene. • In a painting colors don’t change, in the scene colors fade and flow constantly. What are some examples of scenes I can create? • By adding many small orbs with little friction and bounce, you can create a water effect. It can slosh around realistically as you tilt your iPad. • You can create a large orb with gravity, and many smaller ones. Watch them as they orbit around like comets flying around a star. • You can create a scene where brilliant colors follow your fingers as you touch the screen. • You can create a scene where you fling fireworks with your fingers and watch them explode into beautiful colors. Features • Powerful physics engine • 20 bundled scenes (to play with and study) • Intuitive interface for creating new scenes of your own • Full multi-touch support, so all 10 fingers can play at once • Many settings allowing for unique and one of a kind scenes • Clear documentation • VGA out support What are people saying about it? • "... very organic, smooth, I like it a lot!" Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater! • “It’s what they would use on board the USS Enterprise for entertainment” G. C. • "Be prepared to melt away hours of your night!" J. S. • “Every iPad owner should have this app, there’s nothing like it!” C. K.
Ions 2+
Explore a dynamic particle simulation with extensive customization options. Control ion color, size, shape, and trails. Utilize device motion and advanced grid placement for unique creations. Supports a high particle count for detailed simulations.
- Customizable ion color and size
- Shape and trail effects
- Accelerometer control
- Rectangular and polar grids
- High particle count (up to 100,000)
- Save custom layouts and looks
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Ions is back, recharged and better than ever! The sequel to the staff-favorite particle simulation allows total control over the look and behavior of your creations. Ions 2+ also supports iPhones and iPods as well as iPads! Your ions can now change color and size based on age, speed, direction, and other parameters! Change shape, leave trails, change the background, and more! Use your device’s accelerometer to react to gravity or add turbulence and drag for more variety. You also have both rectangular and polar grids for precise placement. Why stop at only 20,000 particles? With Ions 2+, you can raise the limit up to 100,000 on faster devices. Of course you can still save your favorite layouts, as well as any custom looks you’ve created. Ions 2+. I'm positive you'll love it.
Screenshots
Verdict
Art in Motion and Ions 2+ both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Ions 2+'s written reviews are positive against 64% of Art in Motion's. Ions 2+ also leads on ratings volume (39 vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). 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
Art in Motion costs $1.99 and Ions 2+ $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Art in Motion against 4.8 for Ions 2+. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ions 2+ has 39 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Art in Motion's written reviews are positive against 94% of Ions 2+'s.
Art in Motion ships an update every 11 months, Ions 2+ every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Art in Motion | Ions 2+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (5 ratings) | 4.8 (39 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | 93.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 39 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PDJ Apps | Douglas Applewhite |
Customer experience
Art in Motion
Ions 2+
In-app purchases
Art in Motion
No in-app purchases
Ions 2+
No in-app purchases








