# ArtRage vs Calligraphy Handbook

The clearest difference is price: Calligraphy Handbook at Free against ArtRage's $2.99. Calligraphy Handbook also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.5) and review sentiment (70% vs 57%). ArtRage's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Calligraphy Handbook is free to download; ArtRage costs $2.99 up front. Calligraphy Handbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ArtRage asks for nothing beyond the download.

Calligraphy Handbook holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 171 and 518 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of ArtRage's written reviews are positive against 70% of Calligraphy Handbook's.

ArtRage ships an update monthly, Calligraphy Handbook every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ArtRage | Calligraphy Handbook |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.5 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artrage/id391432693/reviews) | **[4.5 (518 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 171 | **518** |
| Positive reviews | 57.3% of reviews | **70.0% 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 | **#123** | — |
| Size | 62 MB | 257 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:** #123 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 Handbook

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calligraphy-handbook/id830584075)

This app is a digital tool for learning and practicing calligraphy. It offers various pens, colors, and effects for both beginners and experienced artists. Users can also challenge friends or test their skills with a calligraphy game.

**Highlights:** Digital pens and papers for learning, Unique pen and color effects, Calligraphy game for skill evaluation, 11 calligraphic pens and 1 pointed pen, 19 calligraphic hands in various styles, Layer management for artistic creation, Export creations to camera roll or email

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Features | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for learning calligraphy
- 💡 Variety of font styles and color options
- 👍 Calming and meditative experience
- 👍 Great for beginners and intermediate users
- 👍 Useful for practicing without supplies

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Misleading about free features
- 🔒 Lack of palm rejection and input issues
- 👎 Overly strict grading system
- 👎 Limited free features, need to pay for full access

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when switching between uppercase and lowercase letters
- Undo feature causes freezing and loss of progress
- Inconsistent performance and lag when using Apple Pencil
- Restoration of in-app purchases not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add more font styles, especially Gothic and modern
- Implement better palm rejection and input handling
- Allow users to favorite/save preferred font styles
- Add the ability to practice full words and sentences
- Improve export and sharing options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ArtRage free?

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

### Is Calligraphy Handbook free?

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

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

Calligraphy Handbook is rated higher. ArtRage averages 3.5 out of 5 from 171 ratings, while Calligraphy Handbook averages 4.5 from 518 ratings.

### Do ArtRage or Calligraphy Handbook have ads?

Neither ArtRage nor Calligraphy Handbook shows ads.

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

ArtRage ships an update monthly, and Calligraphy Handbook every 4 months. Most recently, ArtRage was updated on October 16, 2026 and Calligraphy Handbook on October 14, 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.*