# ibis Paint vs Core Image Tools

The clearest difference is price: Core Image Tools at $0.99 against ibis Paint's $15.99. Core Image Tools also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). ibis Paint's advantage is ratings volume (4.1K vs 3) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ibis Paint costs $15.99 and Core Image Tools $0.99 up front. ibis Paint sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Core Image Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

Core Image Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ibis Paint has 4.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of ibis Paint's written reviews are positive against 100% of Core Image Tools's.

ibis Paint ships an update monthly, Core Image Tools every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ibis Paint | Core Image Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $15.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibis-paint/id441179131/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/core-image-tools/id6748240493/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.1K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | — |
| Size | 118 MB | 60 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ibis inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300834419) | [Lino Bailey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804513706) |

## What reviewers say

### ibis Paint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibis-paint/id441179131)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Paid · Graphics & Design, #189 Top Paid (US App Store)

This professional drawing application offers a vast array of brushes, materials, and fonts for digital art creation. Record your drawing process, utilize advanced layer features, and access helpful rulers and filters. It's designed for artists seeking powerful tools on their mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Over 47,000 brushes, Unlimited layers, Drawing process recording, Stroke stabilization, Various ruler types, Clipping mask features, Advanced text tool

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership (Monthly plan) | $4.49 | per month |
| Premium Membership (Yearly plan) | $27.99 | per year |
| Smart Credit 300pt | $2.99 | one-time |
| Smart Credit 900pt | $8.99 | one-time |
| Smart Credit 2,500pt | $23.99 | one-time |
| Smart Credit 5,000pt | $44.99 | one-time |
| Smart Credit 10,000pt | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent brushes and tools
- 🎨 Customizable brushes and textures
- 🔍 Helpful tutorials and guidance
- 🚀 Smooth performance and responsiveness
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Premium features locked behind subscription
- 🗂️ Lack of organization tools like folders
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty finding specific brushes
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Speedpaint feature not recording all actions
- Blurring tool causing color leakage
- Layers not working as expected on certain devices
- Crashes when opening large files

**Requested features**

- Add animation tools and features
- Implement better organization options like folders
- Improve search and filtering for brushes
- Add blending and liquify tools
- Allow importing custom brushes and textures


### Core Image Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/core-image-tools/id6748240493)

This app offers over 100 image editing tools with a simple interface for various effects. Easily edit, enhance, resize, and apply filters to your photos across multiple devices. Its intuitive workflow allows for seamless, step-by-step image manipulation without complex file management.

**Highlights:** Over 100 image editing tools, Simple and intuitive user interface, Multi-platform support (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Vision), Resize images with added pixels, Flip and mirror functionality, Various blur effects, Chroma-keying tools

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ibis Paint free?

ibis Paint costs $15.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Core Image Tools free?

Core Image Tools costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ibis Paint or Core Image Tools?

Core Image Tools is rated higher. ibis Paint averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.1K ratings, while Core Image Tools averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do ibis Paint or Core Image Tools have ads?

Neither ibis Paint nor Core Image Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ibis Paint or Core Image Tools?

ibis Paint ships an update monthly, and Core Image Tools every 2 weeks. Most recently, ibis Paint was updated on October 15, 2026 and Core Image Tools on October 8, 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.*