# SnapDot vs PIXEL86

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SnapDot at none against PIXEL86's 2. SnapDot also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (3 vs 1). PIXEL86's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 82%). On price, rating and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PIXEL86 sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. SnapDot asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for SnapDot against 4.7 for PIXEL86. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 40 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of SnapDot's written reviews are positive against 100% of PIXEL86's.

SnapDot ships an update every 2 months, PIXEL86 every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SnapDot | PIXEL86 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapdot/id535125291/reviews) | **[4.7 (40 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 39 | **40** |
| Positive reviews | 82.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dotwerx](https://appshunter.io/developer/535125294) | [Peter Tretyakov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1072835768) |

## What reviewers say

### SnapDot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/snapdot/id535125291)

Transform your photos into unique stipple drawings with intuitive editing tools. Control dot density, contrast, and brightness to create professional-looking art for sharing or printing. Supports color, greyscale, and black-and-white outputs.

**Highlights:** Create stipple drawings from photos, Control dot density, contrast, and brightness, Color, greyscale, and black-and-white modes, Optional canvas background, Advanced PDF exporting, Social media integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Amazing results
- 🎨 Great for artistic effects
- 💡 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Fast processing
- 🌟 Vector output capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes often
- 🐛 Functionality issues with updates
- 📉 Low resolution output (historical)
- 🐛 Sliders not appearing
- 🐛 App not deleting

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opened
- Crashes upon opening after iOS 6 update
- Sliders no longer visible
- App will not delete
- Background frame/paper button doesn't toggle background

**Requested features**

- More dots
- Ability to crop image
- More updates
- Port to macOS
- Add squares & geometric shapes


### PIXEL86

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel86-retro-media-editor/id1641007991)

Transform photos and videos with vintage pixel art aesthetics. Apply true black-and-white dithering, custom color palettes, and unique dithering styles to create retro media. Supports video editing and sharing your creations.

**Highlights:** True B/W dithering, Video editing support, Customizable color palettes, Three dithering styles (Natural, Pattern, Flat), Vintage-inspired aesthetics, Social media sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License Discount | $9.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SnapDot free?

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

### Is PIXEL86 free?

PIXEL86 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SnapDot or PIXEL86?

PIXEL86 is rated higher. SnapDot averages 4.6 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while PIXEL86 averages 4.7 from 40 ratings.

### Do SnapDot or PIXEL86 have ads?

PIXEL86 shows ads; SnapDot does not.

### Which is updated more often, SnapDot or PIXEL86?

SnapDot ships an update every 2 months, and PIXEL86 every 5 days. Most recently, SnapDot was updated on October 14, 2026 and PIXEL86 on September 30, 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.*