# KaleidoPaint vs watAR

KaleidoPaint and watAR both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of KaleidoPaint's written reviews are positive against 0% of watAR's. KaleidoPaint also leads on ratings volume (77 vs 12). watAR's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for KaleidoPaint against 4.6 for watAR. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KaleidoPaint has 77 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of KaleidoPaint's written reviews are positive against 0% of watAR's.

KaleidoPaint ships an update every 5 months, watAR every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KaleidoPaint | watAR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953/reviews) | **[4.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watar/id1546980861/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **80.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 4 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **14.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeff Weeks](https://appshunter.io/developer/326104308) | [Rare Realities, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1571445940) |

## What reviewers say

### KaleidoPaint

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953)

Create intricate, repeating designs by mirroring your brushstrokes in real-time. Offers extensive editing tools for precise control over every element of your artwork. Export your creations as tileable images or standard graphics.

**Highlights:** Real-time mirrored brushstrokes, 17 symmetry patterns, Vector graphics editing, Curve smoothing and area fill, Undo/Redo functionality, Export tileable rectangles

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great for creating patterns and designs
- 💎 Free and ad-free
- 💡 Vector-based editing
- 🔄 Allows for easy line adjustment (Bezier curves)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or doesn't open
- 🐛 Opens files app instead of the app itself
- 🐛 Blank page with no controls
- 🐛 Recent changes made the app confusing and less user-friendly
- 🐛 Old drawings ruined by updates

**Reported bugs**

- App opens files app and no files are selectable
- App opens an empty page without any controls
- App immediately opens files without allowing creation
- App doesn't work, opens files app and doesn't allow creation
- Old drawings ruined by updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to break a line from a selected point
- Eraser tool
- Export as SVG option
- More features like different brushes, blending colors, more symmetrical choices, and better stroke control
- Ability to export in a square format


### watAR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watar/id1546980861)

Transform real-world surfaces into dynamic water features using augmented reality. Add realistic waves and raindrops, interact with the effects, and capture unique images and videos.

**Highlights:** Augmented reality water effects, Wave and rain simulations, Interactive water effects, Capture images and videos, Adjustable effect scale, Hand/foot interaction with water (LiDAR required), Foreground occlusion (LiDAR required)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is KaleidoPaint free?

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

### Is watAR free?

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

### Which has better reviews, KaleidoPaint or watAR?

watAR is rated higher. KaleidoPaint averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while watAR averages 4.6 from 12 ratings.

### Do KaleidoPaint or watAR have ads?

Neither KaleidoPaint nor watAR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, KaleidoPaint or watAR?

KaleidoPaint ships an update every 5 months, and watAR every 11 days. Most recently, KaleidoPaint was updated on November 1, 2026 and watAR on November 3, 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.*