# Anime Maker vs Stick Nodes

The clearest difference is rating: Stick Nodes at 4.6 against Anime Maker's 3.4. Stick Nodes also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). Anime Maker's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Anime Maker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Stick Nodes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Stick Nodes holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stick Nodes has 15K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Anime Maker's written reviews are positive against 85% of Stick Nodes's.

Anime Maker ships an update every 5 days, Stick Nodes every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Anime Maker | Stick Nodes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anime-maker/id405622194/reviews) | **[4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stick-nodes-animator/id932127902/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.1K | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | 55.1% of reviews | **84.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kentaro Matsumae](https://appshunter.io/developer/290852801) | [ForTheLoss Games, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/932127901) |

## What reviewers say

### Anime Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anime-maker/id405622194)

Create and share your own flip-book style animations. Draw with various brushes, manage frames, and adjust animation speed. Upload your creations to a global platform and interact with other users through comments.

**Highlights:** Drawing with touch, Flipbook animation creation, Multiple brush colors, Frame management, Adjustable animation speed, Save and upload animations, User comments and communication

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $0.99 | per month |
| 20 frames limitation unlock | $7.99 | one-time |
| Hide Advertise Banner | $7.99 | one-time |
| Background Layer | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🎨 Good for animating
- 👍 Helpful community
- 🤝 Ability to share animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited frames without paying
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🙅‍♀️ Inappropriate content
- 🤖 Presence of bots/spammers

**Reported bugs**

- Logging in issues
- Randomly logging out users
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Unexpected behavior when adding frames

**Requested features**

- Add more drawing tools (e.g. fill bucket, layers)
- Increase frame limit for free users
- Implement better content moderation
- Improve search and discovery features


### Stick Nodes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stick-nodes-animator/id932127902)

Create custom stickfigure animations with a user-friendly interface. Import images, add sound effects, and export your creations as GIFs or MP4 videos. Join a vibrant community for inspiration and shared resources.

**Highlights:** Stickfigure animation creation, Image import for animation, Automatic frame-tweening, Camera pan, zoom, and rotate, Movieclips for reusable objects, Sound effects and filters, GIF and MP4 export

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎨 Great for beginners
- 💡 Customizable stick figures
- 🎥 Smooth animations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Lag issues
- 🐛 Bugs with importing/downloading
- 🐛 Glitches with certain features
- 💰 Pro version paywall

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when downloading stickfigure packs
- Saving/loading issues with animations
- Nodes/limbs getting stuck or glitching
- Unexpected behavior with certain actions

**Requested features**

- Add tutorial/instructions
- Improve save/export options
- Implement account system
- Expand free version features
- Add drawing/shading tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Anime Maker free?

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

### Is Stick Nodes free?

Stick Nodes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Anime Maker or Stick Nodes?

Stick Nodes is rated higher. Anime Maker averages 3.4 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Stick Nodes averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.

### Do Anime Maker or Stick Nodes have ads?

Anime Maker shows ads; Stick Nodes does not.

### Which is updated more often, Anime Maker or Stick Nodes?

Anime Maker ships an update every 5 days, and Stick Nodes every 2 weeks. Most recently, Anime Maker was updated on October 29, 2026 and Stick Nodes on October 30, 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.*