Comparison

SwirlPaint vs Makanim Light

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SwirlPaint

Create mesmerizing, symmetrical art with a simple swipe. This app generates kaleidoscope-like images by mirroring your strokes across multiple lines. Save your unique creations directly to your device's photo library.

Highlights
  • Kaleidoscope image generation
  • Adjustable number of lines
  • Customizable line colors
  • Multi-touch support
  • Save drawings to Camera Roll
Features
Read full description

A simple paint program which generates kaleidoscope-like images with the swipe of a finger. Features: - Change number of lines - Change line color - Multi-touch support - Save drawing to Camera Roll

About

Makanim Light

Create stunning, interactive animations with multi-touch gestures. Explore endless visual effects, shapes, and patterns for relaxation or live performance. Save your creations as wallpapers.

Highlights
  • Multi-touch graphic generator
  • Real-time preset editing
  • Up to 3-finger gestures
  • Multiple animation modes and shapes
  • Adjustable speed, size, and chaos
  • Save creations as screenshots/wallpapers
Features
Read full description

AppAdvice.com review: "This generative art app will provide you with pure visual stimulation." AppSplit.com review: "With its level of customization, it's definitely still worthy to try it." Want to relax or have fun? Enjoy an amazing graphic experience with Makanim. Create stunning animations by playing with multi-touch. Snap your creations and use them as wallpapers. Play with Makanim at home for fun, at a party, or on stage for VJing: improvise during live performances and create new animations on the fly. Makanim offers endless combinations of visual effects by changing nine simple parameters. You can spend hours discovering the different ways to animate shapes. Makanim is a powerful app that can both entertain and relax. FEATURES - Multi-touch particle generator - Up to 10 fingers at once, depending on your device - 10 animation modes - 48 beautiful and original shapes - 22 color palettes - 112 editable presets, saved as you play - Thousands of possible combinations - Edit presets in real time - Switch between modes, shapes and colors - Control speed, size and chaos - Background color and particle opacity controls - Random button for surprise combinations - Interactive sounds - Animation auto-play - Screenshot button to save images to your photo library - Expert mode: hide or show the menu bar - Fingers limit, to avoid clashing with your device's multi-touch gestures LINKS Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flR6mz788h0 Visit http://appakabar.com for more information. Makanim Light is the free version of Makanim: it includes 12 of the 112 presets, 4 of the 10 modes and 7 of the 48 shapes, with up to 3 fingers at once. Unlock everything with a single in-app purchase. No subscription.

Screenshots

SwirlPaint4 screens
Makanim Light4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SwirlPaint at 100% against Makanim Light's 60%. SwirlPaint also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Makanim Light's advantage is update cadence (every 13 months vs every 38 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Makanim Light sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SwirlPaint asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SwirlPaint holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of SwirlPaint's written reviews are positive against 60% of Makanim Light's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SwirlPaint ships an update every 38 months, Makanim Light every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SwirlPaint versus Makanim Light: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwirlPaintMakanim Light
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (8 ratings) — better4.0 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings8 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 38 monthsEvery 13 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS6.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChewOnGlass.comAppakabar

Customer experience

SwirlPaint

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Makanim Light

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

None

SwirlPaint

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Makanim Light

One-time1
  • Unlock everything$4.99

Questions

Is SwirlPaint free?
SwirlPaint is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Makanim Light free?
Makanim Light is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SwirlPaint or Makanim Light?
SwirlPaint is rated higher. SwirlPaint averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Makanim Light averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.
Do SwirlPaint or Makanim Light have ads?
Neither SwirlPaint nor Makanim Light shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SwirlPaint or Makanim Light?
SwirlPaint ships an update every 38 months, and Makanim Light every 13 months. Most recently, SwirlPaint was updated on November 1, 2026 and Makanim Light on November 10, 2026.

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