# Islands in the Stream vs PathPix Art

The clearest difference is price: Islands in the Stream at Free against PathPix Art's $4.99. Islands in the Stream also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 21 months). PathPix Art's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Islands in the Stream is free to download; PathPix Art costs $4.99 up front. Islands in the Stream sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. PathPix Art asks for nothing beyond the download.

PathPix Art holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PathPix Art has 128 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of Islands in the Stream's written reviews are positive against 95% of PathPix Art's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Islands in the Stream ships an update every 5 months, PathPix Art every 21 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Islands in the Stream | PathPix Art |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/islands-in-the-stream/id571234122/reviews) | **[5.0 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathpix-art/id1131114005/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **128** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 95.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 21 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 20 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stanley Lam](https://appshunter.io/developer/453164363) | [Kris Pixton](https://appshunter.io/developer/314306152) |

## What reviewers say

### Islands in the Stream

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/islands-in-the-stream/id571234122)

A logic puzzle game where you paint grids blue or white following specific island and stream rules. Offers over 500 unique puzzles across three sizes and time trial modes.

**Highlights:** Over 500 unique puzzles, 3 different grid sizes, 3 Time Trial modes, Record best completion times, Hint system for uncompleted islands, Leaderboards for Time Trial

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Regular Pack 1 (5x5 to 10x10) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Regular Pack 2 (5x5 to 10x10) | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7x7 Mania Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10x10 Mania Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock All Packs | $2.99 | one-time |
| 20 Hints | $2.99 | one-time |


### PathPix Art

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathpix-art/id1131114005)

This app offers 150 giant-sized logic puzzles featuring famous works of art from various historical periods. Solve intricate puzzles that reveal masterpieces by renowned artists, with sizes ranging up to 22,650 squares. Designed for experienced puzzle solvers seeking a significant challenge.

**Highlights:** 150 giant-sized puzzles, Art-themed puzzles, Puzzles based on famous paintings, Works by over 100 artists, Includes SuperMax section with largest puzzles, Puzzles range from 9045 to 22,650 squares

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Islands in the Stream free?

Islands in the Stream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PathPix Art free?

PathPix Art costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Islands in the Stream or PathPix Art?

PathPix Art is rated higher. Islands in the Stream averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while PathPix Art averages 5.0 from 128 ratings.

### Do Islands in the Stream or PathPix Art have ads?

Islands in the Stream shows ads; PathPix Art does not.

### Which is updated more often, Islands in the Stream or PathPix Art?

Islands in the Stream ships an update every 5 months, and PathPix Art every 21 months. Most recently, Islands in the Stream was updated on November 1, 2026 and PathPix Art on November 2, 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.*