# iPastels vs Sketch Recorder

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sketch Recorder at none against iPastels's 6. iPastels's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 17 months). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iPastels sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Sketch Recorder asks for nothing beyond the download.

iPastels holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iPastels has 2.2K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of iPastels's written reviews are positive against 57% of Sketch Recorder's.

iPastels ships an update every 6 weeks, Sketch Recorder every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPastels | Sketch Recorder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipastels/id489302558/reviews)** | [4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-recorder/id1620786662/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **81.0% of reviews** | 57.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 17 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 24 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norbyte](https://appshunter.io/developer/331310753) | [Mehmet Bayram](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541281376) |

## What reviewers say

### iPastels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipastels/id489302558)

This app offers a realistic digital painting experience with lifelike pastel simulation and interactive textures. It allows for precise color blending and adjustable stroke sizes, catering to both beginners and experienced artists. Explore your creativity without the cost of traditional art supplies.

**Highlights:** Lifelike pastel simulation, Realistic paper/canvas textures, Precise color blending, Fingertip stroke size adjustment, Left-handed toolbar option, Live parameter changes, Multiple layers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip Jar: Smallest Tip | $1.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Small Tip | $2.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Medium Tip | $5.00 | one-time |
| Pro Upgrade | $7.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Big Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Biggest Tip | $25.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Realistic pastel simulation
- 💡 Useful for beginners and professionals
- 🌈 Wide range of colors and shades
- 🔍 Good blending and smudging tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay for more
- 🔍 Lack of zoom or detailed control
- 🎨 Difficulty finding/reusing specific colors
- 🔀 Confusing layer management

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when importing images
- Layers sometimes disappear or get lost
- Undo button deletes entire drawing sections

**Requested features**

- Add color picker tool
- Improve layer management and visibility
- Implement pressure-sensitive brush support
- Provide more paper/canvas texture options
- Allow saving and recalling custom palettes


### Sketch Recorder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sketch-recorder/id1620786662)

This app offers a distraction-free drawing and painting experience with a natural feel. It includes screen recording capabilities and a tracing paper mode to help you copy images. Save your creations directly to your photo library.

**Highlights:** Natural drawing experience, Full-screen mode, Screen recording, Tracing paper mode, Save to photo library, Hide/show palette

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPastels free?

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

### Is Sketch Recorder free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iPastels or Sketch Recorder?

iPastels is rated higher. iPastels averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while Sketch Recorder averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do iPastels or Sketch Recorder have ads?

Sketch Recorder shows ads; iPastels does not.

### Which is updated more often, iPastels or Sketch Recorder?

iPastels ships an update every 6 weeks, and Sketch Recorder every 17 months. Most recently, iPastels was updated on October 29, 2026 and Sketch Recorder on October 24, 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.*