# Doodle Dandy vs Makanim Light

The clearest difference is rating: Doodle Dandy at 4.6 against Makanim Light's 3.8. Doodle Dandy also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 60%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 13 months). Makanim Light's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Doodle Dandy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Makanim Light sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Doodle Dandy holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Doodle Dandy has 69 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Doodle Dandy's written reviews are positive against 60% of Makanim Light's.

Doodle Dandy ships an update fortnightly, Makanim Light every 13 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doodle Dandy | Makanim Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-dandy/id421080244/reviews)** | [3.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makanim-light-generative-art/id515128027/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **69** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **92.8% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 18 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicholas Williams](https://appshunter.io/developer/421080247) | [Appakabar](https://appshunter.io/developer/481789852) |

## What reviewers say

### Doodle Dandy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doodle-dandy/id421080244)

Unleash your creativity with this intuitive drawing app that makes creating beautiful artwork accessible to everyone. Enjoy a game-like experience with satisfying results you can share or use as custom wallpaper. No artistic talent is required to produce stunning, original creations.

**Highlights:** Rotationally-symmetric input for balanced designs, Real-time transparency tool, Multiple brush sizes, Unlimited undo/redo, Save and share creations, Customizable wallpaper

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Doodle Dandy - No Ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and enjoyable
- 🎨 Creative and inspiring
- 📱 Easy to use
- 💯 Addictive and engaging
- 🌟 Relaxing experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎨 Limited color palette
- 🤔 No clear instructions
- ⚠️ Accidental clearing of work
- 📉 Muted colors

**Reported bugs**

- Save to photos not working
- App crashes
- App will not open
- Save feature not working
- Delete masterpiece when trying to save

**Requested features**

- Ability to draw over existing pictures
- More color options
- Color picker
- Redo button
- Load image to resume a project


### Makanim Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/makanim-light-generative-art/id515128027)

Create stunning, interactive animations with multi-touch gestures. Explore endless visual effects, shapes, and patterns for relaxation or live performance. Save your creations as wallpapers.

**Highlights:** Multi-touch graphic generator, Real-time preset editing, Up to 3-finger gestures, Multiple animation modes and shapes, Adjustable speed, size, and chaos, Save creations as screenshots/wallpapers

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock everything | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doodle Dandy free?

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

### Is Makanim Light free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Doodle Dandy or Makanim Light?

Doodle Dandy is rated higher. Doodle Dandy averages 4.6 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Makanim Light averages 3.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do Doodle Dandy or Makanim Light have ads?

Doodle Dandy shows ads; Makanim Light does not.

### Which is updated more often, Doodle Dandy or Makanim Light?

Doodle Dandy ships an update fortnightly, and Makanim Light every 13 months. Most recently, Doodle Dandy was updated on November 1, 2026 and Makanim Light on November 1, 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.*