# Hello Oil Painter vs Redstring

The clearest difference is rating: Redstring at 5.0 against Hello Oil Painter's 4.0. Redstring also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Hello Oil Painter's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (50 vs 3). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hello Oil Painter sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Redstring sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Redstring holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hello Oil Painter has 50 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Hello Oil Painter's written reviews are positive against 100% of Redstring's.

Hello Oil Painter ships an update every 3 months, Redstring every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hello Oil Painter | Redstring |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-oil-painter/id481181793/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redstring-ancient-mystery-map/id6790043505/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 70.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 83 MB | 57 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Raysoft.co](https://appshunter.io/developer/433279490) | [Michael Dube](https://appshunter.io/developer/1858655640) |

## What reviewers say

### Hello Oil Painter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hello-oil-painter/id481181793)

This app offers a realistic oil painting experience on your device. It simulates virtual oil paint and brushes, allowing you to mix colors on an interactive palette. Explore numerous free coloring books or purchase more from the in-app shop.

**Highlights:** Realistic oil paint and brush simulation, Interactive color mixing palette, Multiple brush styles, Drawing sound effects, Intuitive user interface, Numerous free coloring books, Coloring book shop

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coloring Book #1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coloring Book #2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coloring Book #3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coloring Book #4 | $0.99 | one-time |
| oil_cbook5 | $0.99 | one-time |
| more markerpen | $0.99 | one-time |
| oil_floodfill | $0.99 | one-time |
| oil_fullversion | $0.99 | one-time |
| oil_cbook6 | $0.99 | one-time |
| oil_cbook7 | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Realistic oil painting simulation and effects
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🎯 Excellent color mixing on virtual palette
- 💰 Free app with affordable premium features
- 🖌️ Variety of brush styles and tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Data loss when app crashes or exits unexpectedly
- 🖌️ Brush strokes too thick for detailed work
- 🎨 Color mixing results unrealistic (blending issues)
- ❌ Undo function causes crashes and data loss

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently during use
- Crashes when using undo function
- Crashes when saving paintings
- Crashes when importing photos from camera roll
- Data loss upon crash or unexpected exit

**Requested features**

- Adjustable brush size options
- Finer brush tips for detailed work and eyelashes
- More color options and neutral/pastel tones
- Smudge/blending tool improvements
- Wet brush for smoothing colors on canvas


### Redstring

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redstring-ancient-mystery-map/id6790043505)

Explore a 3D globe featuring 305 real case files of unexplained phenomena, ancient ruins, and deep mysteries. Each location offers a brief explanation and links for further research, turning your device into an evidence board for the world's most intriguing puzzles.

**Highlights:** 3D globe with 305 case files, Documented, debated, and fringe evidence labels, Daily new file declassification, Meta-mystery 'Case Zero', Curated 'Threads' for guided exploration, Personal 'Evidence Board' progress tracking, Offline functionality

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clearance — Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Clearance — Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| Clearance — Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hello Oil Painter free?

Hello Oil Painter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Redstring free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hello Oil Painter or Redstring?

Redstring is rated higher. Hello Oil Painter averages 4.0 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Redstring averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Hello Oil Painter or Redstring have ads?

Redstring shows ads; Hello Oil Painter does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hello Oil Painter or Redstring?

Hello Oil Painter ships an update every 3 months, and Redstring every 9 days. Most recently, Hello Oil Painter was updated on October 23, 2026 and Redstring on October 31, 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.*