# Soft Box Color vs Brushstroke

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Soft Box Color at none against Brushstroke's 16. Brushstroke's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.3). On price and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brushstroke sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Soft Box Color asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brushstroke holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brushstroke has 14K ratings behind it against 147, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Soft Box Color's written reviews are positive against 80% of Brushstroke's.

Soft Box Color ships an update every 30 months, Brushstroke monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Soft Box Color | Brushstroke |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (147 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soft-box-color/id446214887/reviews) | **[4.8 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushstroke/id824421012/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 147 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 127 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Rouda](https://appshunter.io/developer/396597129) | [Code Organa](https://appshunter.io/developer/363410063) |

## What reviewers say

### Soft Box Color

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soft-box-color/id446214887)

Enhance your photography with a portable lighting studio on your iPad. Choose from various color filters to set the perfect mood for your shots. This app is designed to complement your existing camera, not replace it.

**Highlights:** Portable lighting studio, Range of color filters, Set mood for photos, Enhance photography, Screen brightness adjustment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Brushstroke

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brushstroke/id824421012)

Transform your photos and videos into stunning paintings with a single touch. Edit, personalize with a signature, and share your creations on social media. High-quality canvas prints of your artwork can also be ordered and delivered directly to your home.

**Highlights:** Photo to painting transformation, Video to painting transformation, Signature personalization, Social media sharing, Canvas print ordering, Multiple painting styles

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brushstroke | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Brushstroke | $9.99 | per month |
| Brushstroke | $29.99 | per year |
| Brushstroke | $59.99 | per year |
| Illustration Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Video Paintings | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $6.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $13.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Full Version | $15.99 | one-time |
| Brushstroke | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Versatile painting effects
- 💡 Helpful for planning paintings
- 🖼️ Turns photos into paintings
- 🎨 Excellent for creating art

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs with saving/exporting images
- 🔍 Difficult to find/select photos
- 💰 Expensive for some features
- 🖼️ Printed results not always accurate

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when importing certain photos
- Saved images disappear from camera roll
- Slider controls not working as expected

**Requested features**

- More painting/filter styles
- Ability to adjust brush size/strokes
- Better photo organization/search
- Improved printing quality/options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Soft Box Color free?

Soft Box Color is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Brushstroke free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Soft Box Color or Brushstroke?

Brushstroke is rated higher. Soft Box Color averages 4.3 out of 5 from 147 ratings, while Brushstroke averages 4.8 from 14K ratings.

### Do Soft Box Color or Brushstroke have ads?

Soft Box Color shows ads; Brushstroke does not.

### Which is updated more often, Soft Box Color or Brushstroke?

Soft Box Color ships an update every 30 months, and Brushstroke monthly. Most recently, Soft Box Color was updated on October 23, 2026 and Brushstroke on October 27, 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.*