# Retro Art Studio vs DotIt!

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DotIt! at 100% against Retro Art Studio's 34%. DotIt! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Retro Art Studio's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Retro Art Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DotIt! asks for nothing beyond the download.

Retro Art Studio holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DotIt! has 57 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 34% of Retro Art Studio's written reviews are positive against 100% of DotIt!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Retro Art Studio ships an update every 4 months, DotIt! every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Retro Art Studio | DotIt! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-art-studio/id473538911/reviews)** | [4.4 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotit/id602347312/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **57** |
| Positive reviews | 34.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 13 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 148 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Six Foot Three Foot](https://appshunter.io/developer/387610242) | [Thom Ritterfeld](https://appshunter.io/developer/482567621) |

## What reviewers say

### Retro Art Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-art-studio/id473538911)

Unleash your creativity with three classic-inspired art tools. Design pixel art, create vibrant peg-style designs, or sketch with playful dial controls. This app offers a simple, satisfying, and mess-free way to make art for all ages.

**Highlights:** Pixel art creation, Peg-style artwork, Dial doodle sketching, Intuitive grid interface, Distraction-free design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Good for pixel art
- 🕹️ Nostalgic feel
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🖼️ Clear saving to gallery
- 💡 Good for educational purposes (K-2)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💥 Frequent crashes
- 📉 Low quality etch-a-sketch
- 🤏 Tiny icons
- 🚫 Too many ads
- ❌ No undo feature

**Reported bugs**

- Constantly crashes
- Crashed on save, lost drawing
- Won't load
- Not opening on iPad 2
- Can't open the stupid thing

**Requested features**

- More art settings
- Update to fix crashing
- More colors
- Zoom functionality
- Color Spectrum Pad


### DotIt!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dotit/id602347312)

Unleash your creativity by easily adding photos as backgrounds and then drawing or writing on them. Save and share your unique creations with friends. Simple touch controls make it accessible for all.

**Highlights:** Add photos as backgrounds, Easy touch controls, Save creations, Share creations, Creative expression

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Retro Art Studio free?

Retro Art Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DotIt! free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Retro Art Studio or DotIt!?

Retro Art Studio is rated higher. Retro Art Studio averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while DotIt! averages 4.4 from 57 ratings.

### Do Retro Art Studio or DotIt! have ads?

Retro Art Studio shows ads; DotIt! does not.

### Which is updated more often, Retro Art Studio or DotIt!?

Retro Art Studio ships an update every 4 months, and DotIt! every 13 months. Most recently, Retro Art Studio was updated on October 22, 2026 and DotIt! on October 23, 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.*