# BeadsDesign vs Dot Lab

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dot Lab at 96% against BeadsDesign's 54%. Dot Lab also leads on ads (none vs shown). BeadsDesign's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dot Lab sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. BeadsDesign asks for nothing beyond the download.

BeadsDesign holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BeadsDesign has 61 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of BeadsDesign's written reviews are positive against 96% of Dot Lab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BeadsDesign ships an update every 3 weeks, Dot Lab fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeadsDesign | Dot Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beadsdesign/id601626010/reviews)** | [4.5 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-lab-perler-beads-pattern/id6504469120/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **61** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | **96.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Freemium |
| Size | 13 MB | 80 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HIDEHIKO NAGANO](https://appshunter.io/developer/569036928) | [桂华 冉](https://appshunter.io/developer/1751093769) |

## What reviewers say

### BeadsDesign

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beadsdesign/id601626010)

Create pixel art designs for iron beads and bead weaving. Import photos, scan them into a canvas, and use various tools to edit and export your creations. Supports multiple panel shapes and color manipulation.

**Highlights:** Photo import and editing, Photo scanning onto canvas, Multiple panel shapes, Zoom, pan, and color selection tools, Flood fill and undo/redo functionality, Color replacement and grayscale conversion, Export designs to photo library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Dot Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-lab-perler-beads-pattern/id6504469120)

Create pixel art for NFTs, avatars, or fuse bead patterns with intuitive drawing tools and customizable palettes. Generate detailed patterns for crafts like perler beads and crochet, with options for efficient creation and sharing.

**Highlights:** Efficient drawing tools, Multiple canvas sizes, Rich color options and palette management, Automatic pattern generation for crafts, Workstation for secondary creations, Share and save artwork, Data backup and canvas lock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| Annual member | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $22.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeadsDesign free?

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

### Is Dot Lab free?

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

### Which has better reviews, BeadsDesign or Dot Lab?

BeadsDesign is rated higher. BeadsDesign averages 4.7 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Dot Lab averages 4.5 from 10 ratings.

### Do BeadsDesign or Dot Lab have ads?

BeadsDesign shows ads; Dot Lab does not.

### Which is updated more often, BeadsDesign or Dot Lab?

BeadsDesign ships an update every 3 weeks, and Dot Lab fortnightly. Most recently, BeadsDesign was updated on September 22, 2026 and Dot Lab on September 23, 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.*