# ImagineFX vs Artista

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Artista at none against ImagineFX's 12. Artista also leads on review sentiment (89% vs 54%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). ImagineFX's advantage is ratings volume (626 vs 22) and chart position (#163 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ImagineFX sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Artista asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for ImagineFX against 4.7 for Artista. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ImagineFX has 626 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of ImagineFX's written reviews are positive against 89% of Artista's.

ImagineFX ships an update every 3 months, Artista every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ImagineFX | Artista |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (626 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imaginefx/id451426922/reviews) | **[4.7 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artista-drawing-reference/id6447208094/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **626** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 54.3% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#163** | — |
| Size | 25 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Future plc](https://appshunter.io/developer/378460265) | [Max Buster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680573093) |

## What reviewers say

### ImagineFX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imaginefx/id451426922)

**Currently charting:** #163 Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

This app is a digital magazine for fantasy and sci-fi digital artists. It offers expert-led workshops, galleries, interviews with top illustrators, and reviews of creative tools. It's designed to inspire and guide both hobbyists and professionals in mastering digital art.

**Highlights:** Expert-led workshops, Artist interviews, Step-by-step tutorials, Community spotlights, Tool and software reviews, Curated artwork galleries

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $5.99 | per month |
| 3 Month Subscription | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| 6 Month Subscription | $31.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| ImagineFX Annual 2025 | $1.99 | one-time |
| May 2012 | $7.99 | one-time |
| August 2012 | $7.99 | one-time |
| October 2012 | $7.99 | one-time |
| November 2012 | $7.99 | one-time |
| The Digital Artist's Survival Guide | $11.99 | one-time |
| All ImagineFX back issues | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Inspiring content and great resources for artists
- 👍 Useful video tutorials and links
- 💻 Convenient digital format

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⏱️ Slow page loading and rendering
- 💸 Expensive digital subscription
- 🤔 Confusing purchase and restoration process
- 🔍 Difficulty browsing and finding content

**Reported bugs**

- Issues not displaying properly offline
- Purchased content disappearing or not accessible
- Inconsistent behavior when restoring purchases

**Requested features**

- Ability to access CD/digital content included with print subscription
- Improved offline support and caching
- Bookmarking, highlighting, and annotation tools
- Better organization and navigation of back issues
- Cross-device syncing of purchases and library


### Artista

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artista-drawing-reference/id6447208094)

Access thousands of high-quality reference photos for your art. Share your creations, learn from others' interpretations, and track your artistic progress over time. This app also features an art community for inspiration and feedback.

**Highlights:** Thousands of reference photos, Share your drawings, View others' interpretations, Track progress, Art community

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ImagineFX free?

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

### Is Artista free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ImagineFX or Artista?

Artista is rated higher. ImagineFX averages 4.6 out of 5 from 626 ratings, while Artista averages 4.7 from 22 ratings.

### Do ImagineFX or Artista have ads?

Neither ImagineFX nor Artista shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ImagineFX or Artista?

ImagineFX ships an update every 3 months, and Artista every 3 weeks. Most recently, ImagineFX was updated on October 21, 2026 and Artista on October 20, 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.*