# Doodle vs PaintBox Basic

The clearest difference is rating: Doodle at 3.3 against PaintBox Basic's 2.0. Doodle also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). PaintBox Basic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Doodle sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PaintBox Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Doodle holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Doodle has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Doodle's written reviews are positive against 0% of PaintBox Basic's.

Doodle ships an update every 3 weeks, PaintBox Basic every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodle | PaintBox Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle/id405259285/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintbox-basic/id737396215/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **14.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 15 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Orgajja Co Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/368955015) | [Kouichi Hayashi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1809037541) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle/id405259285)

This app allows users to create simple sketches and drawings, ranging from abstract shapes to representational figures. It's ideal for capturing fleeting ideas or for casual drawing during idle moments.

**Highlights:** Create simple sketches, Draw abstract shapes, Make representational figures, Unfocused drawing tool, Capture fleeting ideas

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| additional features | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎨 Good for entertaining children
- ⏱️ Quick way to pass time while waiting
- 🆓 Free version available
- ✏️ Basic drawing functionality works

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📢 Excessive and intrusive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 💰 Requires payment for most features
- 🔄 Saves drawings upside down or backwards
- ❌ No eraser functionality in free version

**Reported bugs**

- App opens upside down then crashes
- Crashes immediately upon opening
- Crashes when tapping twice simultaneously
- Crashes when no WiFi/internet available
- Drawings save upside down or backwards

**Requested features**

- Eraser tool
- Undo button
- More color options and variety
- Different drawing modes/backgrounds
- Ability to change wooden board aesthetic


### PaintBox Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintbox-basic/id737396215)

This is a basic paint application offering various brushes and auto-save functionality. Users can easily share their creations via email or social media platforms. It includes banner ads and lacks advanced features like undo/redo.

**Highlights:** 8 types of brushes, Auto save image, Transfer to Mac via iTunes file sharing, Share images via email, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Banner ads displayed

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodle free?

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

### Is PaintBox Basic free?

PaintBox Basic is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Doodle or PaintBox Basic?

Doodle is rated higher. Doodle averages 3.3 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while PaintBox Basic averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Doodle or PaintBox Basic have ads?

PaintBox Basic shows ads; Doodle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Doodle or PaintBox Basic?

Doodle ships an update every 3 weeks, and PaintBox Basic every 7 months. Most recently, Doodle was updated on October 19, 2026 and PaintBox Basic on October 11, 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.*