# Artista vs Paintable

The clearest difference is update cadence: Paintable at weekly against Artista's every 3 weeks. Artista's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 — 4.8 for Artista against 4.7 for Paintable. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 18 respectively.

Artista ships an update every 3 weeks, Paintable weekly. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Artista | Paintable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artista-drawing-reference/id6447208094/reviews)** | [4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintable/id6751126346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 14 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Max Buster](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680573093) | [Paintable Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833558254) |

## What reviewers say

### Artista

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artista-drawing-reference/id6447208094)

Access thousands of high-quality reference photos for your art. Share your creations, learn from others' interpretations, and track your artistic progress over time. This app also features an art community for inspiration and feedback.

**Highlights:** Thousands of reference photos, Share your drawings, View others' interpretations, Track progress, Art community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Paintable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintable/id6751126346)

This app provides a structured learning path and community support for aspiring digital artists. It offers step-by-step guidance, monthly workshops, and personalized feedback to help users build confidence and complete their illustrations.

**Highlights:** 5-Level Learning Path, Monthly Themed Workshops, Private Feedback Space, Supportive Artist Community, Creative Habit Support, Illustration from Imagination

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Artista free?

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

### Is Paintable free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Artista or Paintable?

Artista is rated higher. Artista averages 4.8 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Paintable averages 4.7 from 18 ratings.

### Do Artista or Paintable have ads?

Neither Artista nor Paintable shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Artista or Paintable?

Artista ships an update every 3 weeks, and Paintable weekly. Most recently, Artista was updated on June 1, 2026 and Paintable on September 19, 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.*