# ArtRage vs Calligraphy Penmanship

The clearest difference is price: Calligraphy Penmanship at Free against ArtRage's $2.99. Calligraphy Penmanship also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (843 vs 171). ArtRage's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Calligraphy Penmanship is free to download; ArtRage costs $2.99 up front. Calligraphy Penmanship sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ArtRage asks for nothing beyond the download.

Calligraphy Penmanship holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 171 and 843 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of ArtRage's written reviews are positive against 56% of Calligraphy Penmanship's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ArtRage ships an update monthly, Calligraphy Penmanship every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArtRage | Calligraphy Penmanship |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artrage/id391432693/reviews) | **[4.4 (843 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-penmanship/id1114008183/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 171 | **843** |
| Positive reviews | **57.3% of reviews** | 55.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 306 MB |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ambient Design Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/391432696) | [Etienne Nguyen Tan Hon](https://appshunter.io/developer/417852567) |

## What reviewers say

### ArtRage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artrage/id391432693)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Entertainment (US App Store)

This app offers a realistic digital painting experience, simulating the behavior of real-world art supplies like oils, watercolors, and pencils. It allows for smearing, blending, and texture application, making it accessible for aspiring artists without the mess or expense of traditional materials.

**Highlights:** Realistic paint simulation (oils, watercolors, etc.), Smearing and blending capabilities, Layer support with blend modes, Import images as reference or tracing, Apple Pencil pressure and tilt support, Customizable interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic paint simulation
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 💡 Variety of tools and customization options
- 🎨 Blending and mixing of colors works well
- 🎨 Simulates traditional media like oil, watercolor, and pastels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Laggy performance, especially with larger brushes
- 🔍 Limited canvas size and resolution
- 🐛 Bugs with layer handling and saving progress
- 🔍 Missing some basic features like shapes and text

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and loss of unsaved work
- Bugs with color picker and blending tools
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between tools

**Requested features**

- Ability to resize and rotate canvas
- Improved palm rejection and touch controls
- Larger brush sizes and more customization options
- Support for higher resolution canvases and export
- Autosave and cloud sync functionality


### Calligraphy Penmanship

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-penmanship/id1114008183)

Create digital calligraphy artworks with a realistic pointed pen experience. Adjust pressure and smoothness for elegant shades and fine strokes. Learn and practice lettering with guided exercises and decorative elements.

**Highlights:** Realistic pointed pen simulation, Adjustable pressure and smoothness, Stroke-by-stroke learning exercises, Letter tracing with guide lines, Ornamental frame creation, Text typing with embellishments, Gradient and alternated color effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Old School French Cursive Hand | $1.99 | one-time |
| Copperplate Hand | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock tools and 6 basic alphabets | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing calligraphy
- 💡 Variety of fonts and styles
- 🚀 Responsive with Apple Pencil
- 😊 Enjoyable and relaxing to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lag and delay when writing
- 💰 Paid version required to access full features
- 🤔 Unclear trial period and payment model
- 👨‍🦰 Not very user-friendly for left-handed users

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and app freezes
- Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
- Incompatibility with certain devices and iOS versions

**Requested features**

- More font and style options
- Ability to move and resize letter guides
- Improved pressure sensitivity and responsiveness
- Option to switch sidebar to right side for lefties


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArtRage free?

ArtRage costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Calligraphy Penmanship free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ArtRage or Calligraphy Penmanship?

Calligraphy Penmanship is rated higher. ArtRage averages 3.5 out of 5 from 171 ratings, while Calligraphy Penmanship averages 4.4 from 843 ratings.

### Do ArtRage or Calligraphy Penmanship have ads?

Neither ArtRage nor Calligraphy Penmanship shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ArtRage or Calligraphy Penmanship?

ArtRage ships an update monthly, and Calligraphy Penmanship every 4 months. Most recently, ArtRage was updated on October 19, 2026 and Calligraphy Penmanship on October 13, 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.*