# KaleidoPaint vs 8bit Painter

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KaleidoPaint at none against 8bit Painter's 1. KaleidoPaint also leads on ads (none vs shown). 8bit Painter's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (6.7K vs 77). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 8bit Painter sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. KaleidoPaint asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for KaleidoPaint against 4.6 for 8bit Painter. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 8bit Painter has 6.7K ratings behind it against 77, 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 85% of 8bit Painter's.

KaleidoPaint ships an update every 5 months, 8bit Painter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | KaleidoPaint | 8bit Painter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kaleidopaint/id518275953/reviews) | **[4.6 (6.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 77 | **6.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | **85.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 4 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeff Weeks](https://appshunter.io/developer/326104308) | [Takayuki Miyagawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/894301276) |

## 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


### 8bit Painter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-painter-pixel-art/id894301273)

Create pixel art and 8-bit style graphics with intuitive tools. Perfect for beginners, it allows for easy creation of social media icons, game skins, illustrations, and patterns. Import photos to convert them into pixel art, remove backgrounds, and export transparent PNGs.

**Highlights:** Intuitive pixel art creation tools, Photo import and conversion to pixel art, Background removal for imported images, Stylus support for precise drawing on iPad, Multiple canvas sizes, Transparent PNG export, Artwork data import/export

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🥰 Fun and addictive
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎨 Great for pixel art
- 💡 Helpful for crafting projects
- 🤩 Awesome app overall

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Annoying ads
- 🔒 Limited canvas sizes
- 🎨 Lack of color customization
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Distortion when importing images
- Inability to delete saved artworks

**Requested features**

- Custom canvas sizes
- More color options and palettes
- Ability to delete or rearrange colors
- Layers and animation support
- Copy/paste and selection tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is KaleidoPaint free?

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

### Is 8bit Painter free?

8bit Painter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, KaleidoPaint or 8bit Painter?

8bit Painter is rated higher. KaleidoPaint averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while 8bit Painter averages 4.6 from 6.7K ratings.

### Do KaleidoPaint or 8bit Painter have ads?

8bit Painter shows ads; KaleidoPaint does not.

### Which is updated more often, KaleidoPaint or 8bit Painter?

KaleidoPaint ships an update every 5 months, and 8bit Painter every 3 weeks. Most recently, KaleidoPaint was updated on November 1, 2026 and 8bit Painter on November 9, 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.*