# iPastels vs HuePaint

The clearest difference is ratings volume: iPastels at 2.1K against HuePaint's 164. iPastels also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 69%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iPastels sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and HuePaint sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for iPastels against 4.7 for HuePaint. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iPastels has 2.1K ratings behind it against 164, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of iPastels's written reviews are positive against 69% of HuePaint's.

iPastels ships an update every 6 weeks, HuePaint every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iPastels | HuePaint |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipastels/id489302558/reviews) | [4.7 (164 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/huepaint/id504653909/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 164 |
| Positive reviews | **81.7% of reviews** | 69.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norbyte](https://appshunter.io/developer/331310753) | [Norbyte](https://appshunter.io/developer/331310753) |

## 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


### HuePaint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/huepaint/id504653909)

Create digital art with realistic brushes and dynamic stroke sizes based on fingertip pressure. Offers a user-friendly interface with customizable tools and supports advanced features like layers and photo tracing.

**Highlights:** Live-calculated brushes and strokes, Dynamic stroke size based on fingertip pressure, Adjustable parameters while painting, Left-handed toolbar option, Multiple layers, Photo tracing mode (Pro feature)

**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 | $6.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Big Tip | $10.00 | one-time |
| Tip Jar: Biggest Tip | $25.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iPastels free?

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

### Is HuePaint free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iPastels or HuePaint?

iPastels and HuePaint are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.1K and 164 ratings respectively.

### Do iPastels or HuePaint have ads?

Neither iPastels nor HuePaint shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iPastels or HuePaint?

iPastels ships an update every 6 weeks, and HuePaint every 2 months. Most recently, iPastels was updated on September 25, 2026 and HuePaint on September 17, 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.*