WowPaint vs Abstractor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WowPaint
Create seamless patterns for backgrounds, textures, and more with intuitive drawing tools. Adjust parameters live while painting and utilize fingertip-based stroke sizing. Supports Apple Pencil and multiple layers.
- Seamless pattern creation
- Wrapped painting mode
- Fingertip stroke size adjustment
- Live parameter changes
- Multiple layers
- Photo tracing mode (Pro)
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Pattern/texture designers: You’ll find the app’s unique feature set very useful when making repeatable images (patterns). Other artists: WowPaint is great for drawing and painting “normal” art as well! • CREATE SEAMLESS PATTERNS • Use the Seamless Pattern Options to aid you in creating seamless patterns that can be used as website or desktop backgrounds, in print, or for textures in 3d modeling. When you have switched on Wrap X/Y, any strokes you paint that go over the picture’s edge will continue on the opposite side. That means that there will be no hard edges where strokes are cut off (since they continue instead), which makes the picture a perfect candidate for being seamlessly repeated. A tremendous help when using the Wrapped Painting mode is the option of having the picture displayed as tiles next to each other. You’re free to paint anywhere on these tiles, and you will see the results in real time. You can also switch on Edge Indicators, to make it easier to see where the picture being repeated begins and ends. • FINGERTIP = STROKE SIZE • When you paint, the app measures how much of your finger is touching the screen and changes the stroke size accordingly. There’s a huge difference between using just the corner of your fingertip and pressing down the whole fingerprint area! A 2nd tool assigned to your finger will still use this feature, so don’t ignore it just because you have an Apple Pencil! • LEFT-HANDED? • Just swipe the toolbar over to the other side! • PARAMETERS CAN BE CHANGED LIVE • Use any buttons or controls to change/adjust color, size, force, simultaneously while painting. • UNIVERSAL PURCHASE • If you choose to buy the Pro upgrade, this one-time in-app purchase will unlock all Pro features in the app on all available platforms (iPad-iPhone-Mac)! • METAL • The engine is based on Metal, with 128-bit color and floating-point arithmetic. • SWIFT • The app was developed entirely using Swift (earlier versions used C++). • APPLE PENCIL SUPPORT • FULL SCREEN PAINTING • • DARK MODE • LANDSCAPE • PORTRAIT • WIDE COLOR • • MULTIPLE LAYERS • PHOTO TRACING MODE (Pro feature) •
Abstractor
This drawing app uses generative magic and dynamic flow brushes to create unique, animated artwork. Explore infinite possibilities with brushes that respond to your gestures, imported images, and algorithmic patterns.
- Generative flow brushes
- Image-driven velocity maps
- Algorithmic particle behavior
- Color shifting based on stroke
- Layer support
- Color source layers
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ABSTRACTOR: PAINT WITH GENERATIVE MAGIC Unleash your vision with Abstractor, a poetic drawing app for iPad and iPhone, crafted for artist explorers and playful creators. Paint with infinite possibilities, where every stroke pulses with generative magic. FLOW BRUSHES: THE HEART OF CREATION Dive into the soul of Abstractor with flow brushes, where particles swirl like living liquids, leaving hypnotic trails across your canvas. These dynamic tools respond to three unique velocity maps: • Stroke Paths: Your gestures carve flowing rivers, guiding particles along vibrant trails. • Image-Driven Flow: Import an image to shape a velocity field, infusing brushes with textured, directional energy. • Algorithmic Soul: Add generated noise or patterns to give particles a distinct character—turbulent storms or gentle ripples. Tune particle behaviors in real time, sculpting their essence like a visual composer. Blend these maps to create mesmerizing, emergent patterns that surprise and inspire, making every stroke a performance. Colors shift with stroke angle, pressure, or speed, weaving emotion into every line. Use familiar layers or bind tools to them for tailored magic. Paint over a color source layer, pulling hues from imported images to craft radiant distortions—flow brushes shine here, warping visuals into dreamlike abstractions. Abstractor is your canvas for boundless wonder. Download now and let your art flow eternal.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Abstractor at every 5 days against WowPaint's every 2 months. Abstractor also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). WowPaint's advantage is ratings volume (119 vs 5) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. WowPaint sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Abstractor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Abstractor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WowPaint has 119 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of WowPaint's written reviews are positive against 71% of Abstractor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
WowPaint ships an update every 2 months, Abstractor every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and July 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WowPaint | Abstractor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (119 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews — better | 71.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 119 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Norbyte | superdiagonal |
Customer experience
WowPaint
Abstractor
In-app purchases
WowPaint
- Tip Jar: Smallest Tip$1.00
- Tip Jar: Small Tip$2.00
- Tip Jar: Medium Tip$5.00
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- Pro Upgrade$7.00
- Tip Jar: Big Tip$10.00
- Tip Jar: Biggest Tip$25.00
Abstractor
- All Access · 1 Month$0.991 Month
- Premium · 1 Year14 Days trial$9.991 Year
- All-Access$9.99









