# iColorama vs Pastello

The clearest difference is price: iColorama at Free against Pastello's $29.99. iColorama also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (256 vs 44). Pastello's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

iColorama is free to download; Pastello costs $29.99 up front. iColorama sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Pastello asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pastello holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iColorama has 256 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 79% positive.

iColorama ships an update every 4 days, Pastello every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iColorama | Pastello |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $29.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (256 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icolorama/id490528854/reviews) | **[4.8 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastello/id1074343686/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **256** | 44 |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 78.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [talonsodev](https://appshunter.io/developer/490528857) | [JixiPix, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/380605671) |

## What reviewers say

### iColorama

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icolorama/id490528854)

Enhance photos and digital art with over 1000 effects, from simple adjustments to complex transforms. Repaint images with various brushes, and import custom Photoshop brushes, curves, and fonts to create unique artistic pieces.

**Highlights:** Over 1000 image effects, Image adjustments, Math transforms, Repainting with brushes, Import custom brushes, Import custom fonts, Import custom curves

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iColorama PRO | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| iColorama PRO | $9.99 | per year |
| iColorama PRO | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Incredibly deep app
- 👍 Fantastic app
- 👍 Best app ever
- 👍 Brilliant app
- 👍 Superb app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes constantly
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Quality reduced when uploading photos
- 🐛 Doesn't work with newer iOS versions
- 💰 Moved to subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing issues
- Unable to load photos
- Watermark overlay issues
- Incompatibility with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to save in full quality
- Improved stability and performance
- Support for latest iOS versions
- Restore previous free version


### Pastello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pastello/id1074343686)

Transform your photos into stunning dry media art, mimicking styles like pastel, charcoal, and colored pencil. This app offers a professional workflow with customizable layers and one-click presets for creating expressive, traditional-looking artwork.

**Highlights:** Photo to Pastel, Chalk, Charcoal, Crayon conversion, Layering of different dry media, Customizable stroke direction, size, and volume, One-click presets with customization options, Traditional sketch styles and DaVinci effect, Professional workflow for artists and photographers

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iColorama free?

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

### Is Pastello free?

Pastello costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iColorama or Pastello?

Pastello is rated higher. iColorama averages 4.5 out of 5 from 256 ratings, while Pastello averages 4.8 from 44 ratings.

### Do iColorama or Pastello have ads?

Neither iColorama nor Pastello shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iColorama or Pastello?

iColorama ships an update every 4 days, and Pastello every 3 months. Most recently, iColorama was updated on October 18, 2026 and Pastello on October 21, 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.*